


Hide Away

by totheworld_thisisnct



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Also I borrowed TXT but they're minor characters, Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Barebacking, Blood and Injury, Blow Jobs, Boys Kissing, Bullying, Cliffhangers, Confusion, Crying, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Gun Violence, Hand Jobs, Heavy Angst, Internal Conflict, M/M, Manipulation, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Pining, Plot Twists, Secrets, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Spies & Secret Agents, Strangers to Lovers, Switching, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:46:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 124,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25546891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/totheworld_thisisnct/pseuds/totheworld_thisisnct
Summary: "Hi," he announced, voice lilting and melodious, "I'm Choi San."Wooyoung didn't know what to say, so he just opted to shake the boy's hand a little hesitantly, "Can I help you?" Wooyoung questioned, looking at this...Choi San, perplexed as he slid into the empty seat opposite him, comfortable like they'd known each other for years."Well...no, but I thought you looked lonely, so I came to ask if you wanted some company."Huh.Strange.Or, the one in which Wooyoung is a secret agent for the government and San is the naive college boy who knows too much about pain.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Established Kim Hongjoong/ Park Seonghwa
Comments: 338
Kudos: 626
Collections: Fav





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey you guys!😊😊 
> 
> This is my second long Woosan fic after Baby Don't Like It, and it's quite a different au, so I hope it turns out okay... 
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Okay, so I've heard a lot about these types of fics, that they are basically sexualising our idols, and that such fics shouldn't be written about our boys. As a writer- at least, according to me- that isn't the point here at all. The stories I write are totally fiction. All I do is take character inspiration from these idols, and use them in my story. I could just as well have used you or me,because it isn't really our identity that goes into the story, but the identity of these characters, and the chemistry they share. It is, in no way, meant to offend or sexualise our boys, trust me. Everything here is, and will always be, fiction. So I would appreciate if more people understood this, and didn't slam fic writers for writing adult content about k-idols, or any celebrity for that matter. 
> 
> On that note, I hope you guys take this fic sportively, and support all the writers out there, because y'all are special, and don't let hate get to you like that. 
> 
> Aaaand, here we go!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Hi," the stranger announced, voice lilting and melodious, "I'm Choi San."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to try out an AU like this for a while, so here you go!! I hope it exceeds the level of my previous works, and doesn't give away how much of an amateur I am XD 
> 
> Anyway, let me know what you think in the comments, and subscribe to keep following this story!! 
> 
> (Oh, and please read the disclaimer above. It's a small request to all the readers out there)
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Wooyoung adjusted the cap on his head, which hid most of his hair, and settled a little more into the not-very-comfortable chair, scrolling through his phone but not really paying attention to it. His eyes seemed to be trained on his phone, but were actually scanning the room, sharp gaze peeled for any sign that would give his target away.

Three girls, clearly more engrossed in their respective phones than each other. Hardly threatening enough. A large group, too many people for any one of them to be the right man. A couple, two girls, kissing in the corner booth like it was their last day on earth, a little _too_ indecently for the public setting. Another couple, this time a boy and a girl, feeding each other and calling each other names a little too saccharine for Wooyoung's taste. A boy whose back was facing Wooyoung, but was clearly way too short to be the guy, apart from the fact that he had pale, muscular arms, very much void of any and all tattoos.

None of the people around seemed to match the description he'd been given, of a tall, a very tall man, hair a light, mousy brown and sharp eyes, with a lip ring and several tattoos down one arm, although those of course could be covered. The most striking feature, the one he was looking out for, was that the man was reportedly missing the little finger on one hand, due to some scrimmage he'd taken part in during his rough life.

He hadn't spotted anyone who could be of interest, and he'd already gone through two coffees and a muffin, having been seated at that very spot for almost two hours, on the lookout for his target.

He sighed, sipping his third coffee and what he hoped would be the last one, as he finally allowed his eyes to stray away from the other customers and to his phone, where his partner Yeosang had been incessantly bothering him for twenty minutes now, asking when he would be done with this assignment.

He texted back a quick, 'Dunno might be a while, this guy seems like a no-show,' and placed his phone on the table in front of him, crossing his legs as the last few sips of the mild coffee slid down his throat. He really wouldn't enjoy the effects of caffiene in him while he was a chasing a ruffian to capture him. Preferably alive, Hongjoong had said, but if worse comes to worse, then he would be allowed to go for the kill. A conveniently placed pistol lay silent in one of the inside pouches of his jacket,invisible to anyone who didn't know its exact location. He'd brought it along in case of any...trouble.

A sudden movement near him jerked him to attention, and he looked up to see...a boy, no more than twenty years of age, about the same height as himself, standing in front of his table and holding out a hand, clearly expecting him to shake it. What caught his attention the most, however, was the rather bright smile on his face, eyes crinkled into little crescents, dimples boring into either of his cheeks as he looked expectantly at Wooyoung.

"Hi," he announced, the voice lilting and melodious, "I'm Choi San."

Wooyoung didn't know what to say, so he just opted to shake the boy's hand a little hesitantly, making sure not to meet his eyes directly, "Can I help you?" Wooyoung questioned, looking at this...Choi San, perplexed as he slid into the empty seat opposite him, comfortable like they'd known each other for years.

"Well...no, but I thought you looked lonely, so I came to ask if you'd been stood up or something, cause you've been in here for, like, ever, and you haven't spoken to anyone. I could give you some company if you'd like," the boy offered, but Wooyoung wasn't really paying attention, too taken in by his unique hair, black with a little turquoise stripe in front. It suited his sharp features.

"They let you do your hair like that in college?" He asked, ignoring everything he'd been told before.

San seemed almost confused as he ran his hand through his own hair, messing it up a little, "Don't you go to college around here too?" He asked, gesturing to the university backpack that Wooyoung had next to him.

_Oh, right._

He was supposed to be in college, "Uh- uh, yeah, I'm just new," he said stupidly, chiding himself for almost having broken his cover.

San shrugged, thankfully letting it go, "Oh, okay. Well, they really don't care too much as long as you maintain attendance, get decent grades and don't do drugs, you know, the usual," he said, but Wooyoung actually _didn't_ know the usual, as he'd never been to college.

He'd joined the force right after school, having been recognised at a summer camp for his surprising talent at shooting and manipulating people, and was taken in by Kim Hongjoong, the current leader of his department, considering of six others aside from him.

"That's nice," Wooyoung said, and San seemed to have picked up on his distracted answer as a hand waved in front of his face.

"Hey, uh...earth to- I don't even know your name yet, what is it?" He asked, and Wooyoung didn't know why, but he didn't want to lie and give his fake name. Well, he wouldn't be seeing the guy after he was done with this anyways, what was the point.

"Wooyoung," he smiled just a tiny bit, "I'm Wooyoung." He didn't reveal his last name, knowing that would be too much of a risk. It was bad enough that he'd told this guy his real name and not the name 'Jinho' that he usually gave to people when he was undercover.

"Wooyoung, that's a pretty name," San appreciated, "for a pretty face," he added, and Wooyoung would never admit that he actually felt his ears heat up a little at the comment.

"Smooth," he smirked, trying to seem unfazed.

San chuckled, "Oh, I know," he tilted his head, making it seem as if he was very interested in what Wooyoung had to say, "So, tell me, Wooyoung," he began, "What brings you here?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "This and that," he answered cryptically, "Work, I guess," technically, he wasn't lying, it was just that San could understand whatever he wanted to from that statement.

"Oh, so you aren't being stood up then?"

Wooyoung offered him a good-natured laugh, "No, I'm not. I'm here of my own accord."

San hummed, "So why have you been here for over an hour?" He asked, and Wooyoung somehow felt like his eyes were seeing more than they were meant to.

He shrugged off the feeling, "You know, you ask a lot of questions for someone who just met me," he dodged San's inquiries easily, shifting the topic so that San would hopefully stop prying.

He was absolutely unprepared for when San simply looked at him and said, "I'm curious about you. You're cute and I haven't seen you around before, which surprises me, because I definitely couldn't forget a face like yours."

Wooyoung tried not to think about the fact that he was being blatantly flirted with, "I told you, I'm new. Of course you haven't seen me around here before."

San stared at him, "Well uh, okay. What are you studying?" He asked, and Wooyoung promptly panicked.

He mentally thanked his phone for choosing to buzz right then, and he looked down to see a text from Yeosang, 'gahhhh jus don't take too long.' Wooyoung rolled his eyes at his friend's clear displeausre showing even through the text, and answered with a simple thumbs up emoji.

He turned back to San, who seemed to have moved on from the topic of college and was now ranting away about how good the cookies were at that cafe and how Wooyoung "should totally try them!" He found San's enthusiasm to be quite endearing.

They chatted that way for a while, San raving on and on about all the things he liked, and Wooyoung, even though he'd just started talking to San out of boredom, weirdly enough, found himself having a good time too. It wasn't really easy to meet new people in his line of work, so this San was a refreshing and welcome change. He even got the courage to flirt back a little, answering every one of San's advances with a clever quip of his own.

But what Wooyoung didn't realise was that he had become just a little too invested in his conversation with the intriguing stranger, and his watch on the people around him had wavered just the slightest bit.

A man entered the cafe, and Wooyoung was still blissfully engrossed in San's irritation with his stupid college professor who wouldn't stop sniffing in class, "I mean, like, get a tissue!" He exclaimed as if it was the most scandalous thing in the world, and Wooyoung couldn't help but let out a laugh, eyes shutting as he threw his head back a little in his mirth.  
  


The man looked around, scanning the room as he pulled the hoodie a little forward, covering what could be seen of his brown hair. The hand that performed the action glinted with an expensive ring, the pattern of a skull clearly visible. The most striking feature, however, was the missing finger on the same hand, pinky stopping at the stub, the skin gleaming a soft pink, as it had healed over.

He stayed to order a coffee, chewing on his lip as his gaze shifted around the room thriftily.

"Sir?" The guy at the counter prompted, "May I have your name for the order?" He asked, and the man narrowed his eyes in suspicion before whispering it in a raspy tone, "Kyung."

The barista nodded, moving to the back to make the coffee, and the man stood silently, tapping his foot on the ground.

The moment his coffee was done, he grabbed it, placing a few notes on the counter before strolling out leisurely, catching the eye of a pretty brunette and winking at her as he walked out the door.  
  


San grinned, "Wooyoung," the mentioned man tried not to think about how pretty his name sounded when San said it, "I'm not generally this forward, but if you're not already dating someone, I'd like to have your number?" He looked hopefully at him.

Wooyoung was shaken by the sudden question, wondering what he should say in response, "Uh..." He began, but didn't have the chance to say anything else, as a new presence leaving the cafe cought his eye. His eyes darted downwards, and saw that the hand not gripping his coffee was missing its little finger.

_Shit._

"I- I have to go," he said hurriedly, grabbing the backpack next to him and sprinting out of the door to hopefully catch up to the guy walking ahead of him, but Wooyoung knew he'd have to push as hard as he could, considering how late he'd been in noticing him.

"Dammit," he swore, and kept a tight hold on the pistol hidden by his jacket as he turned a corner and ran, in case of any problems he might face. He knew for a fact that the man ahead of him also possessed a weapon much like himself, probably hidden somewhere in that massive hoodie of his.

He mentally sighed in relief that he'd already paid for his drinks, and didn't have to go back there now. And then he remembered exactly what had distracted him from his job so much, and cursed again, picking up the pace a little as the man finally came into view, in a side alley that seemed pretty deserted, just a few paces ahead of him.

"Hey!" He called, finally catching up to him, "Can I have a word with you?" It was his usual starter, before the handcuffs came out.

The man turned abruptly, and Wooyoung had barely a second to think before the coffee in his hand was strewn to the side and the hand reached into his hoodie, no doubt for a weapon.

But he was trained for this, used to it even, and he anticipated the movement. Instead of fleeing like the man probably expected him to, Wooyoung charged head-on, his backpack's contents shaking inside it. He grabbed the man's wrist and twisted, forcing him to drop it from inside his hoodie, a gun falling out and clattering to the ground as he did so.

Bingo.

He maintained the tight hold on his wrist, Wooyoung's free hand moving to free his own pistol from inside his jacket, "How-" Wooyoung grunted, "-did you know who I was?"

The man sneered at him, free hand moving up above his head in mock surrender, "The tracking bracelet on your wrist," he rasped, "Only you fuckers have that."

Wooyoung graced him a with a little quirk of his brow, "Smart," he commented nonchalantly, pistol moving to point right at the man's head, "You'll be smarter if you know to come quietly without causing a fuss."

The man's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. Wooyoung was hardly phased, although it made him look a tad more menacing, "I don't owe you anything," he spat.

Wooyoung kicked the discarded gun on the ground out of the way so he could step closer, grip on the man's wrist tightening. The way he tried to hide the wince of pain didn't go unnoticed, and Wooyoung smirked slightly. At least he had the upper hand here, "Kim Kyunghun-" the head of his gun pressed against the man's temple, and a tangible shiver passed through his tall frame, "you're under arrest for-"

"Wooyoung?" A new voice called.

_God fucking dammit._

All it took was a spilt second, when Wooyoung turned his head just slightly, to tell San to leave the scene.

Wrong move.

In the blink of an eye, his target had his wrist free, and was reaching down to grab his own gun, long arm giving him the leeway he needed, before rising and pointing it right at Wooyoung, "Two can play at this game, _agent_ ," he mocked, the click of the gun audible in the silence of the empty alley.

"Shit," Wooyoung turned his attention back to his target, choosing not to look at San for the moment, "San, get out of here," he snapped, and thankfully, the guy seemed smart enough to know not to screw around at such a grim-looking scene. Wooyoung vaguely registered hurried footsteps heading for the main road, and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

The man in front of him scoffed, "My, my, how nice of you to protect your boyfriend."

Wooyoung didn't even bother to dignify that with a repsonse. With a quick shrug, his backpack was off his shoulders, the added weight slumping on the pavement and giving him a little more agility, "Shut up."

Kyunghun started to advance towards him, and Wooyoung was fully prepared for him to pull the gun on him when he was close enough, giving him a sure aim.

What he didn't expect is for the guy to break out into a sprint, his hoodie falling back from his hair as he ran, straight past Wooyoung and back towards the open road.

_What the hell?_

Wooyoung chased after him, backpack lying forgotten behind them as he caught up to the guy easily, years of training giving him the ability to outrun a man who was twice his size.

He came to an abrupt stop, skidding on his heels, when he saw what had happened.

In front of him- just out of view of the main street with its bustling traffic and passerbys- was his target, standing tall and defiant, staring at Wooyoung as he approached. And his arm- bulging with impressive muscles- was wound around San's neck, the smaller boy desperately clawing at it to free himself, although with no such luck.

Wooyoung gasped as subtly as he could, thoughts running a mile a minute as he tried to figure out some way to get the innocent college boy out of this, "Look here," he began, "This is only between us, you don't have to get the kid involved."

The form ahead of him had the audacity to laugh, "Oh, yes. There is that unflinching nobility I was expecting to jump out at me. Well, it's just too bad I don't possess any of that useless shit, and unless you let me go scot-free, it's bye-bye time for the baby," he grinned, showing off his lip piercing, and his free hand came around to the front to point his pistol at a shivering San's temple, "I suggest you don't test me."

Wooyoung tilted his head, dropping his hand with the gun in it, "Fine," he quirked an eyebrow, "Let the kid go first."

The man ahead of him said something under his breath, unwinding his arm from around San, surprisingly willing, and Wooyoung should have realised his mistake right then.

But it was too late.

Kyunghun smirked cruelly, and as he let go of San's neck, brought a knee up to catch him square in the middle of his back, the thin boy choking and falling forward at the impact, probably cracking something on the concrete as he fell forwards, catching himself on his elbows.

"Fucking hell-" before Wooyoung could get the sentence out, a pistol was turned on him, as the man challenged him with a threatening stare.

"One move and I'll shoot."

Wooyoung sighed.

"I didn't want to do this, but-"

_Bang._

All in the span of one second, Wooyoung had raised his hand with the gun, mercilessly firing with deadly accuracy, catching the man in the stomach, definitely a vital spot.

He had been told to capture him preferably alive, but at this point he didn't really have much of a choice. Not when there was an innocent boy on the ground next to him who was coughing and hacking repeatedly who'd been caught in the middle, not when any non-fatal shot on his part would probably have resulted in him getting shot as well.

His only option was to go for the kill, so he did.

His target seemed almost shocked that Wooyoung had actually shot him, as both hands dropped the gun and came to press onto his own stomach, catching the blood that was quickly pooling there. His knees buckled, and he fell to a crouch, somewhat mirroring the very position San was in, as he coughed out blood. It took a few more seconds before the guy took one last, choked breath and collapsed onto the ground, obviously dead.

Wooyoung avoided gazing upon the gruesome sight, quickly making his way back further into the alley where he'd left his backpack. He acquired his phone, dialing a familiar number and pressing it to his ear, "Mingi, I need cleanup over here. Kyunghun caused some...trouble, so I eliminated him."

Once he was given the affirmation that help would be arriving to get rid of the guy's body and basically erase all traces of his existence, he turned back to San, who now had a hand pressed on his own chest, eyes wide from disbelief and fear as he backed away from Wooyoung.

"You- you _killed_ -" San stuttered out, voice coming out broken and raspy due to the pain he was feeling.

"Shut up," was all Wooyoung said in response, unzipping his backpack and taking out the basic first aid supplies he had with him. He reached out a hand to San, meaning to help him, but the latter seemed to think otherwise, shuffling away as much as he could with scared eyes. Wooyoung sighed, "I'm trying to help you, don't move," he instructed.

San stared at him with an open mouth, palm still pressed to his own hurting back, "You expect me to _trust_ you after you just shot someone?!" He outraged.

Wooyoung inhaled, "Look, we don't have time for questions. I just got rid of the guy who was trying to kill you, and me, so isn't that enough to earn your trust?" He reached out again, and this time, San didn't flinch away, although he was still eyeing him suspiciously.

He went around to San's back, and lifted his shirt a little to reveal the spot where he'd been hurt. There was a nasty, purpling bruise there, but thankfully it didn't look like it would cause any serious or long-term damage. A week of rest would probably fix it. He placed a hand near the bruise, checking for any other issues, but found none, "I don't have ice with me now, but you should put an ice pack on it as soon as you get home, okay?"

He received a short nod in response, and hummed, as he took out the spray he kept with him for joint pains, and shook it before spraying a little onto San's back, "Rest your back for a week. Don't move too much, and if you have school, call in sick. And finally..." Wooyoung walked around San to his front, kneeling in front of him, "Why the _hell_ did you follow me here?"

San gulped, "Um...I- I asked you for your number and you just bolted without giving me an answer, and I just had to-"

"No," Wooyoung interrupted, "my answer is no, and now you might be aware why."

San looked at him, eyes shining with an unreadable emotion, "Oh," he looked down, "and...is that it?"

Wooyoung wished it was, "No. There's something you have to do if you don't want to end up like that one," he cocked his head to the side, to signal at the guy lying dead on the ground, a pool of blood formed around him as the stench began filling their senses.

San looked positively alarmed, "I- _what?!"_

Wooyoung tried reassuring him, "I'm not saying you'll be dead, but there is a possibility, now that you've crossed paths with us. Just...keep your mouth shut. This never happened, no one needs to know that I killed someone or that I have a gun, or even that you met me, okay?"

San nodded mutely, "No one would believe me anyway, if I told them that I asked out a guy who's in the mafia, and I got rejected after he killed someone in front of me."

Wooyoung scoffed, "The mafia? Is that what you think I am?"

San shifted his gaze around, not meeting Wooyoung's eyes. It was enough of an answer.

"That's cute," Wooyoung commented, "But that's not the truth. I'm not telling you what the truth _is_ , but it's enough if you know that I'm not in the mafia."

San watched, probably too rattled to ask any questions, as Wooyoung bravely went to jostle the dead guy on the ground, picking at his hoodie and his pant pockets until he recovered a small pocket knife, the gun he'd been using, a small bottle of _something_ , and the ring from his finger, putting all the stuff in the side compartments of his university backpack.

"Um...do I just...go?"

Wooyoung looked at San fleetingly, busy working to make himself look presentable, and not like he'd just run his hands through a waterfall of blood, "Unless you want to watch my partner come and do stuff to the dead guy, yes. You should go."

San rose with visible difficulty, still looking pretty disgusted and shaken by everything, wincing as he stood up fully.

"Bye."

Wooyoung almost laughed at the simple term, but held himself back, knowing it would be inappropriate, "Remember this, San. One _word_ about this and you might end up like him. So be good and shut your damn mouth."

Wooyoung knew he should probably have taken San in with him to HQ, even just to make sure that he would be quiet about everything, but something told him that he wouldn't be having much of a problem there, and that San could be trusted, "Bye," he added, having made up his mind to keep the whole thing with San a secret.

San left without another word, and Wooyoung pretended not to notice the way he limped, turning back to deal with more important matters.

So when Mingi arrived in his black van, along with Seonghwa, and the two of them got to work, examining the body and doing their thing, Wooyoung didn't say anything, simply going with the story that he'd killed the guy because he wasn't cooperating.

No getting distracted at the cafe, no cute boy with unique hair, no cute dimples and spontaneous giggles, and no Choi San.

Just a normal story, with a slightly gruesome ending.

The end.

Or so he thought.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys before I say anything else, let me just remind you to go stream the MV for Inception, and the stage performances, we need to get our boys their third win. They really deserve it and they've worked so hard, so let's give them this 😁 Fighting!! 
> 
> Okay, now that that's done, let me know what you thought of this new venture, into a more plot-heavy story than last time☺️ leave comments and Kudos!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wooyoung-ah, do you think you could come over for a minute?" It was Yeonjun.
> 
> Wooyoung sighed, "Do I have to?"
> 
> "Do you know a Choi San?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!! I'm back!! 
> 
> Omg I can't believe the positive response I got for the first chapter aaaaaaghghhh
> 
> Leave comments and kudos, let me know how you like this one!!! 😁😁 
> 
> (ALSO OUR BOYS GOT THEIR FIRST WIN ON INCEPTION YAYYYY) 
> 
> P.S. Did y'all hear, woosan are roommates now? 😵😵🤭
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Of all the ways Wooyoung would've wanted to spend his day off, this was not one of his first choices. Or even one of his last.

He'd imagined something along the lines of sitting in front of his laptop and watching dumb tv shows all day, maybe finishing that report he'd been putting off for a week, or even going to that PC room everyone on the team had been raving about.

Third-wheeling his boss and his boyfriend/Wooyoung's mentor on their date, however, was the worst thing they'd made him do yet.

Even that one assignment in which he'd had to walk into a middle-aged women's bathhouse wasn't this bad.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa were literally all over each other, completely content with ignoring his existence as they made heart eyes at each other and held hands in the ice cream shop.

Wooyoung wanted to gag.

He didn't know why they even asked him to come along with them, but beyond that, he didn't know why he'd agreed. But now, here he was, being subjected to this torture of sappy romance and over the top cheesy flirting, complete with winks and lip bites. The whole deal.

Wooyoung sighed as Hongjoong poked Seonghwa's cheek for what felt like the seventy fourth time, calling him a baby, and then Seonghwa fed him ice cream, wiping off the cream from the corner of Hongjoong's mouth with a shy giggle.

Wooyoung was seated across from the two of them, tapping away at his phone so that he'd have something to do while he ignored the disgustingly affectionate couple.

He shoved a spoonful of Cherry Jubilee ice cream into his mouth, wondering when BTS would be having their next comeback as he scrolled through their twitter. They'd been kind of quiet lately, maybe they were working on something.

Weird, huh? That a secret agent for the government, part of an organisation whose name brought fear to many, had an unhealthy obsession with kpop boy groups?

 _Hmm_ , he mused, perhaps it was weird, but maybe it was just his way of trying to connect to the 'normal' world.

Wooyoung had always been far from normal.

As a kid, he'd been the problematic troublemaker of the house, always getting in trouble for something or the other, whether it was writing on the walls with a permanent marker, or eating food off the floor, or even stabbing his babysitter with a fork. Then had come his teens, when he'd been breezing through school easily, _too_ easily, and his parents had found out that he was actually smarter than anyone really gave him credit for. They'd let him skip a year of high school, and he went straight to his senior year after sophomore.

Sometime during his senior year, he'd signed up for a self-defense initiation camp, hosted by some organisation as a fund raiser. The only reason his school had even sent him for it was that he was probably the only senior who could afford to miss a week of school without his grades being deterred, with no regard for his lanky form or lack of coordination.

Anyhow, the camp had been where his true prowess was discovered, when he realised that he packed quite a punch, and he could handle a rifle better than most boys his age. He'd been noticed by the camp supervisor, and in turn the organiser, who'd turned out to have more of an underlying motive in hosting the camp than he'd assumed at first.

It turned out that the guy who was hosting it was actually the leader of a division in a government department, in charge of secret agents and international spies for the Republic of South Korea. He had been looking for new recruits by organising camps in different places across the country, and the fundraiser was more of an excuse than anything else. Eden- his supervisor- in particular, headed the Seoul division, and Wooyoung had been offered a position in the force right after high school, with a six-month training period once his finals wrapped up.

His parents had been informed, of course, but no one else knew, not even his younger brother, that he was in fact not attending college after school, and instead was shifted to the Seoul base of Eden's division, training to become a secret agent for the country.

Along with him, there had been other young talents like him recognised in different parts of the country, with Kang Yeosang from Pohang, Song Mingi from Incheon and Jeong Yunho from Gwangju, all of whom were the same age as him. They'd all been trained together, and they'd spent the whole six months together, with very few trips back home in between.

Wooyoung had taken up a Shooter and an Undercover Junior Agent role immediately after the six months of training, where his boss was a short, sharp-eyed, bright-haired man named Kim Hongjoong. Hongjoong-hyung's second-in-command, a.k.a. boyfriend, was Park Seonghwa, who was a weapons specialist, and the mentor to many of the new interns.

Wooyoung's partner was Yeosang, also in the same field as him. Mingi was in charge of autopsies, mission reports, and was trained in field combat, an all-rounder if there ever was one. Yunho was their token engineer, the only one who'd actually gone to college, or was still going to college. He studied chemical engineering, as well as poisons and antidotes, and specialised in weapons like Seonghwa.

They made quite the unit, along with their tech guy Yeonjun, and his second-in-command Soobin. Their division was a large and widespread one, with members from different parts of the country, but these guys, the ones he'd trained with and trained under, were everything to him. This was his home, the place where he could finally do what he believed he was meant to. He could be himself, and didn't feel like the odd oke out for being smart, because here, everyone was like him. Every one of them had skipped some grade or the other, and Wooyoung often faced a huge challenge in keeping up with the others.

He loved it, he loved the rush of it.

But then there was the fact that he had been taught not only to injure or incapacitate, but also to kill.

He was obviously not very enthusiastic about the killing part of his job, but there was not much he could do about it, as it came with being a secret agent. You were bound to take a life at some point in your career, it simply couldn't be evaded. His first kill had been about a year ago, and since then, Wooyoung had taken about six lives while on missions, whether it was directly with a gun, or with poison that Yunho had given him a vial of, or even that time he'd snapped a guy's neck with his bare hands.

Brutal, but it was all he had. It was his life.

Wooyoung's thoughts roamed as he stared around the shop and out the window at the street, where a group of teenagers giggled as they sipped drinks and flirted playfully with each other.

He vaguely registered Seonghwa placing a kiss to the corner of Hongjoong's mouth, whispering something in his ear. Wooyoung suppressed his disgusted shudder in favour of liking pictures of his favourite member of BTS, Park Jimin.

As the last of his ice cream disappeared down his throat, a flash of sudden movement caught his eye.

Wooyoung's trained senses went on high alert as his gaze shifted around the room to find what it was that had triggered him. He wasn't surprised that the two hyungs hadn't noticed anything odd, as they were pretty much in their own fluffy world.

Wooyoung wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, keeping his eyes peeled for anything suspicious.

That was when he noticed it.

In a flash of movement, the bathroom door in the corner seemed to be...forcing itself open? No, there was a hand. A small hand. It was quite obvious that whoever it was, was struggling to open the door. Wooyoung wondered how that could be, as the door didn't seem to be that hard to open.

He squinted at the curious sight, and then he noticed that the hand on the door was in fact bleeding, red streaking the lean fingers as they gripped onto the door, leaving behind small crimson marks in their wake.

Wooyoung gasped at the sight, and couldn't just leave an injured person, whoever it was, that way. He murmured some dumb excuse to Hongjoong and Seonghwa, shoving his phone in his pocket as he made his way to the bathroom.

He reached to grasp at the door handle, pulling it open to let whoever was on the other side out, but he was met with...nothing. There was no one there, no hand with blood on it, and the only indication that there was even anything odd was the telltale streaks of blood on the door handle and door, both inside and outside.

Wooyoung furrowed his brows, the scene striking him as quite strange. How was it that there had been a hand gripping the door just a few seconds ago, he was sure of it, and now there was no one there? He looked around, gaze flitting across the empty room.

It looked like any other normal bathroom in an ice cream shop, urinals at the side, handwash and paper towels and that one disturbing stain on the far end of the wall. Wooyoung chewed on his lip as his brain ran at a thousand miles a minute, trying to understand what had just happened. He looked at the floor, and finally found some sign of there having been something weird happening in there, as a few muddy shoe prints were obvious on the worn tile. There were also streaks in the later of dust that had settled over the ground, like someone had slid across the floor on their heels. It stopped right under the window at the top, and realisation dawned on him when he noticed the obvious hand-shaped clear spots on the window ledge, otherwise marred by grey dust.

He was just about to approach the window, maybe lean out of it to investigate, when the telltale sound of someone approaching made him stop in his tracks. He hurriedly unbuttoned his pants, making it look like he'd just taken a leak, and just as a boy around his age walked in, Wooyoung washed his hands and buttoned his pants again, just to make it seem all the more realistic.

He took one last look at the open window, shaking off the bad feeling in his gut before going back to where the hyungs were paying the check.

"Hey, Wooyoung-ah you're back," Seonghwa smiled, "Wanna go with us to the bridge? We can take funny pictures and fool around before we get dinner," he offered.

Wooyoung might have actually taken him up on that, if he wasn't still so perturbed by the incident in the bathroom, "413," he said simply, knowing that the two would understand what he wanted.

Hongjoong left a tip in the check before standing up at once, pulling his boyfriend up with him, "Where?"

413 was code for a suspicious, possible crime, or in other words, simply weird things that they weren't able to explain. This was definitely in that category.

"Not here, outside," Wooyoung answered, cocking his head towards the door. He started walking out, knowing he would be followed by the other two, and circled the ice cream shop all the way round to the back, where he knew the bathroom window opened out to.

Before actually going there, Wooyoung stopped at the corner, pausing to explain what he'd seen to the two older men. They nodded in silence, previous traces of cuddliness and affection between them nowhere to be seen as they transformed into rugged men of the law, who put their jobs before their very lives.

Hongjoong led the way to the gents' bathroom window, peering around the area to check if the coast was clear first. Once he has deemed it so, the three of them made sure not to be seen by anyone as they scrutinized the area.

Wooyoung's eyes followed the few bloody handprints on the wall, that looked very much like someone had balanced themselves on it. Seonghwa moved closer, and with a quick once-over, was able to discern a little more than Wooyoung had, due to his experience, "There doesn't seem to have been any struggle. The handprints aren't smudged, they're clean, like whoever it was placed their hands there intentionally. And...honestly, there's not much else to go off of here Wooyoungie."

Wooyoung nodded in understanding, "I know," he affirmed, "I just wanted to have a look either way, you know, just in case something was up."

Hongjoong patted him on the shoulder, "I say we leave this alone, doesnt seem like anything that requires out assistance. Good call telling us though, kiddo,"

Wooyoung beamed at the praise, walking along with the two as they made their way back to the front where Seonghwa had parked the car.

The drive to the bridge was mostly silent, accentuated by Wooyoung's random outbursts of the few lyrics he knew of the english song playing in his earphones.

He put the whole incident from before out of his mind, instead focusing on figuring out what exactly Ariana Grande was singing in '7 rings'.

Hm.

*****

Wooyoung groaned as his head lolled against his own desk, exhausted after third-wheeling Hongjoong and Seonghwa the whole day, and then poring over mission reports for over an hour.

"Hey," Yeosang, his roommate, greeted as he came from inside the bedroom to stand behind Wooyoung, "I just got Yeonjun to get rid of that cctv footage from your last assignment. You know, that Kyunghun guy."

Wooyoung raised his head slightly, "Hmm," he mumbled, literally on the edge of sleep. He moaned out something unintelligible as Yeosang placed his hands on his neck, massaging slowly.

The older chuckled, working out the knots in Wooyoung's neck silently, as the latter went back to focusing on his report.

 _Date... Any casualties.... Name of person(s) involved... Nature of crime..._ He put his mind to work, lazily finishing off the last of his reports as Yeosang continued to give him a neck and shoulder massage, "Thank god," he sighed in relief, stacking up papers and folders, "Okay, I can finally go to sleep now."

Yeosang chuckled, hands moving away from his shoulders. Wooyoung stood, running a hand through his already messy black hair before following Yeosang to their shared bedroom.

The place they lived in was more of a...dorm than an actual apartment. It was this cute flat just a few streets away from HQ, and many of the other agents in their division lived there too. Of course, some, who had the money to do so, preferred to live alone, or with their significant others, or even with their parents, if they were in town.

Yeosang and he lived together, while Yunho and Mingi lived right above them on the fourth floor. Seonghwa and Hongjoong were two apartments from theirs on the same floor. Yeonjun and Soobin lived together too, a floor below them.

Wooyoung groaned as he collapsed onto his bed, which was shoved against the wall, next to Yeosang's. They were separated by a small dresser, for obvious reasons.

They younger mumbled out a lazy "G'nite," and was out like a light in record time, running towards the land of dreams.

*****

The next morning saw Wooyoung yelling as he woke up, loud ringtone shaking him awake earlier than he was used to. He groaned, patting around the dresser for his phone, and finally answering it, "Hello?"

"Wooyoung-ah, do you think you could come over for a minute?" It was Yeonjun.

Wooyoung sighed, "Do I have to?"

"Do you know a Choi San?"

And then Wooyoung was on high alert, "No..." He lied, "Just wait a minute, I'll be right there."

Wooyoung dressed hurriedly, grabbing his phone and running out the door with a quick scream at Yeosang about where he was headed.

He barged into Yeonjun's apartment without knocking, going straight to the guest bedroom that Yeonjun and Soobin had converted into their study/workspace, "Hey, I'm here, what's up?" He asked, trying not to seem too fazed, lest he would give away that he in fact knew who Choi San was.

Yeonjun turned the open laptop on the desk towards him, jostling a few papers tomake space, "This is the footage from the cameras on the street, from your assignment last week."

Wooyoung looked at the screen as he saw himself run after a hooded figure, and then disappear as they went deeper into the alley. Yeonjun fast forwarded a little, and then Wooyoung was faced with San walking into the deserted area, looking around curiously. Just a few seconds later, he appeared again, this time taking fast steps away, horrified expression obvious even with the poor quality of the camera.

Wooyoung didn't want to watch the next part, but he still kept looking, as Kyunghun appeared, grabbing San by the neck and walking a little further in, away from the range of the camera, but enough to see that he had put San in a chokehold.

Yeonjun paused the video then, "After seeing this, I ID'd that guy, and he's Choi San, 21, studying computer science. Obviously you were there at the scene, so you want to tell me who he is, and why he wasn't a part of your report?" Yeonjun challenged.

Wooyoung tried not to betray his nervousness in his expression, "Yeonjun-ah, will you please keep this quiet for me?" He pleaded, knowing that he'd already lost, and denying it further would do him no good.

"Why should I? If he crossed paths with us, then he might as well be dead now."

Wooyoung grimaced at the idea, "I- I told him not to tell anyone about what happened, he promised he wouldn't."

Yeonjun stared at him, "That's it?! You didn't even bring him in for questioning, Wooyoung! You don't even know who he is...wait, do you know him?"

Wooyoung bit his lip, "Not exactly, no. We just...talked when I was undercover at the cafe, and he seemed like a really nice guy. He- he asked me for my number, and before I could answer him, I got sidetracked and ended up in that alley, and then you know what happened," he explained.

Yeonjun sighed, "You're lucky Soobin isn't here. He would've told on you at once," at Wooyoung's grateful smile, Yeonjun continued, "but this doesn't mean I'm just letting this go. I need to know why you just let him go, and....you didn't actually give him your number, did you?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "Of course I didn't, that'd be absurd. I just...I guess I let him go because he seemed innocent and trustworthy. He's not dangerous, Yeonjun-ah, trust me on that at least."

"But did you want to?"

"What?"

"Did you want to give him your number?"

Wooyoung squeaked stupidly, "Wh- what? I guess I...." Yeonjun raised a brow at him, and Wooyoung sighed in defeat, "Yeah, I guess I wanted to," he admitted.

Yeonjun hummed noncommittally, "...okay, Wooyoung I'll keep this quiet for you, but you have to do something for me too."

Wooyoung nodded, "Anything. I just don't want the poor kid to get into any unnecessary trouble."

"It's an assignment of sorts, I guess. I've deleted the footage from the cameras, and I can erase it completely from any outside servers that aren't ours. But...I can't promise you that your crush is gonna be okay."

Wooyoung felt the strong need to deny the presence of any and all crushes on his part, but he was too curious about the rest of the sentence to care at the time, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Kyunghun wasn't working alone. We know that now. He's in an organisation, we just don't know which one yet."

"How do you know that? All the evidence we had against him was just that old report about his rape and drugs case. That's why I was sent to capture him in the first place."

Yeonjun nodded, "Yes, but remember the ring you brought with you? The one you found on his finger? That one was the same ring we found on Jeon Hyunsik, and Shin Minho. We know they were working together, so it wasn't too much of a leap. Plus, the bottle you gave me had a pretty rare toxin in it, not one you can get within the country. He clearly has suppliers from abroad, if not superiors who are getting it for him."

Wooyoung nodded. He hadn't really checked up on the inferences of the report he'd submitted about the Kim Kyunghun case, as those who analysed them always transferred the collected information directly to their computers, where everything passed through Yeonjun, so he was obviously the first one to receive the details, "Right. And what does that have to do with San?"

"If he's working with higher-ups, there's no doubt that people are already looking for him now, and it won't be long before they trace it back to us. And no matter how much I try to cover up that this guy was there, it still may end badly for him."

Wooyoung's eyes widened, "Oh."

Yeonjun nodded, "Yup. So...you need to do something to keep your boy safe."

"He's not _my boy_!" Wooyoung denied, voice unnaturally high-pitched.

Yeonjun rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Either way, if you want him to stay alive, we must always stay one step ahead of whatever group Kyunghun is connected with. So I want you to request Hongjoong-hyung to give you full control over further investigation regarding this guy. Once the report about him not being a freelancer gets out, no doubt he'll want to get people for tracing this back further. So I say you should be the one to do it, so that your dear San doesn't get involved."

Wooyoung nodded in understanding, "Just one thing, though. I've never been in charge by myself, before. So I might not be allowed. What then?"

Yeonjun stood, turning him around and pushing him towards the door, "Then we'll see. For now, just go and ask, and hope that he'll say yes."

Wooyoung looked back over his shoulder at his friend, "Thanks," he said with a smile, just as he was pushed into the hallway.

"Yeah, yeah you owe me, now shoo. I've got things to do," Yeonjun said impatiently, shutting the door behind him.

Wooyoung took one last look at the closing door before leaving, going back to his apartment to wear his uniform before going to HQ to talk to Hongjoong.

He was determined that he would do this.

Not just for San, though. He'd wanted to be a leader for quite a while, having always been under the command of another. Taking the reins for himself might be a positive change.

 _Let's do this,_ he told himself, tucking his shirt into his jeans and determinedly walking out into the street.

****

"Okay."

Wooyoung blanched, "Wait, that's it?"

Hongjoong shrugged, twirling a pen pen between his fingers as he flipped through pages with his other hand, "Sure. I was going to put you on the assignment anyway. Seonghwa was reluctant, but you're far from junior now, and I think you can handle it."

Wooyoung flushed, "Thanks, hyung."

Hongjoong nodded, opening a drawer and shoving a thick file into his arms, "Here you go," he said, "This is all we have for now. Any information on the possible groups he could be working with should be available on your laptop, the files have been mailed there. You can handle a little technology, thankfully, so I'll leave you to it. Any questions you have, ask Seonghwa. You'll be reporting to him for this assignment."

Wooyoung nodded in understanding, still flattered at the amount of trust they placed in him.

Hongjoong looked up at him from his seat, meeting Wooyoung's eyes solemnly, "I trust that you can do this well? You can ask for a partner or a team if you require, I have a few trainees who might be able to do the job."

Wooyoung nodded, "If I need help, of course I'll ask, hyung."

But Wooyoung knew he wouldn't. Not really, if they were close to discovering that he was hiding something that was taken as a pretty serious offense. If he needed help, Yeonjun would probably be the only one he would approach.

Hongjoong nodded, "Good. Now read up on the file, and you will have to give your POA to Seonghwa when it's ready."

POA was an acronym for 'Plan of Action', a term they used often. Many such words shortened themselves this way, and it was almost convention at this point to be aware of the lingo that they used in order to work there.

Wooyoung nodded, "Okay, hyung. Thank you."

Hongjoong simply turned back to the book on his desk, something that looked like a bunch of illegible numbers, but was probably data worth millions of won.

Wooyoung took it as his cue to leave, exiting the room with a short bow, holding the file under his arm as he went to the workroom he shared with Yeosang to look over it.

Almost an hour later, Wooyoung hadn't really concluded much more than what Yeonjun had already told him, the only interesting thing being that the guy had had several scars on his back- like the lashes from a whip- that had been discovered during the autopsy.

He pored over the file, jotting down notes and numbers and researching links on the web- which was completely guarded, of course- until he finally found _something_ worthwhile.

 _Possible alliances: 1) SCAR, 2) Jeong Minhee_ , the file read, somewhere on page eleven.

Both the names were known to him. SCAR was a well-known mafia organisation, one that had been thoroughly eliminated with the death of their leader three years ago. It wasn't odd that the name had come up, they always took past rogue members or defectors into account.

Jeong Minhee was also a familiar name to him. He had been working with the government on an assignment two years ago, one that Wooyoung wasn't really aware about. All he knew was that it had ended with him being given lifetime imprisonment for having been a double agent, leaking information about the country to others. Once he was found out and captured, he was in jail for one month, until one day, he just disappeared. With absolutely no traces.

Jeong Minhee wasn't a name people threw around, and for good reason. He was known to have been vicious, merciless, and ruthless in his methods, having taken many a life during his service to the government. Little did they know, that all the work he did _for_ the country, would end up being used against it.

Wooyoung furrowed his brow, wondering why the name would be in the file at all, as Jeong Minhee had long since been regarded as dead.

He flipped over to the next page, and his jaw dropped open at the sight.

For there was a picture of Jeong Minhee, reportedly several years older than Kim Kyunghun, and a picture of the latter as well.

They were like twins.

The resemblance was uncanny. The same mousy brown hair, hard set of their jawlines, thin lips, one with a piercing and one without, and similar looking noses, more rounded than pointy. The only visible difference was that the one on the right, Minhee, looked considerably older than the other.

Was it possible that it was just a coincidence?

No, not really, they looked creepily similar.

Wooyoung had never actually seen Jeong Minhee in real life, so this had come as quite a shock to him.

With a renewed sense of vigour, barely even thinking about protecting San anymore, he began squeezing out every piece of information he could get, bent on doing the mission well, whether or not he had any ulterior motives.

At this point, all he wanted was to succeed.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooo and the plot begins to unfurl!! 
> 
> One more cheer for our boys because they did great, ATEEZ hwaiting!! 😘😘😘💕💕💕💕 
> 
> Leave comments and kudos, and subscribe for updates!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boy was lying on the edge of the pavement, crumpled form heaving out short breaths, left wrist cradled in the other hand, and leaking blood from several spots on his body, clothes torn and tattered.
> 
> ....
> 
> "San?!"
> 
> ____________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!!! 
> 
> I'm back with chapter 3!!! Thanks for all the comments, they're so sweeett💕💕 if you have the time go check out my other fics as well!!😁😁 
> 
> And here's a little congratulations to ATEEZ and to Atiny for the amazing work so far, love you guys, you're my familyyyy☺️☺️☺️
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

"Agent 978, do you copy?" Wooyoung tapped at the earpiece he was wearing, communicating with Yeosang who was on the other end.

"I copy," came the reply, "Where am I headed?"

Wooyoung looked at the screen in front of him, "At your four o' clock. Intercept the exchange and retrieve the briefcase."

"Got it."

Wooyoung watched the screen with bated breath as the camera they'd planted in the corner of the crowded club showed Yeosang, dressed in extremely stylish clothes, make his way towards a woman carrying a briefcase. He marvelled at the way Yeosang's effortless charm lured her into a conversation, and then the way he distracted her into focussing on him instead of the man who was approaching her, waiting for the briefcase to be handed to him.

Yeosang smiled, showing off his perfect teeth, and Wooyoung could almost see the way the woman absolutely melted, willingly handing him the briefcase. He had probably offered to hold it or something, and she'd agreed. How stupid.

Yeosang took her hand, staring at her as he said something Wooyoung couldn't quite make out, and the woman nodded, walking away and leaving him with the case. That was all the opening he needed. He took off at once, shouldering past the people crowded in the club, right outside and to the back where Wooyoung was waiting for him in a van.

"Here," he placed the suitcase down, "Let's go."

Wooyoung nodded, shifting over to the driver's seat as he started the vehicle, pulling out and starting to drive towards HQ.

On the way back, they passed by the University San studied at, and then the ice cream shop from before. Wooyoung smiled a little shyly, recalling the way his stomach had fluttered when San had flirted with him so openly that day.

He shook the feeling away, instead choosing to focus on the road ahead.

And that was when he saw it.

He assumed Yeosang had too, because the older abruptly yelled, "Stop!" At him, and Wooyoung willingly hit the breaks, parking just ahead of the ice cream place.

Wooyoung signalled for Yeosang to stay put, and exited the vehicle, walking towards the edge of the street where he saw the guy spray painting on the wall.

But the point was that he was spray painting a skull, a very familiar looking one, and as Wooyoung inched closer, he noticed a similar ring shining on the guy's hand as well.

What surprised him was that the person who was doing it looked like he was barely an adult, probably a teenager in high school, "Hey!" He called, jerking the guy out of his thoughts, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Wooyoung didn't miss the way the guy's gaze flickered to his wrist that had the tracking bracelet, eyes widening, before he attempted to flee in the other direction.

Stupid move. If anything, it gave Wooyoung a clue that something was indeed up.

He dashed forward, catching the guy around the waist, and reaching into his own jacket with the other hand, gripping the handle of the pistol in there but not pulling it out, "I have a gun on me right now," he threatened, "and if you don't want it to be turned on you, I suggest you come with me."

The boy didn't even struggle in his hold, knowing he'd been defeated, and his shoulders sank as he nodded.

Wooyoung maintained a tight grip on both his wrists, locking him together, as he ushered the boy to their parked van. Once they were in, Wooyoung strapped the kid into the back seat as Yeosang patted him down, doing the usual check for any weapons.

"You want to tell me what this ring means?" Wooyoung demanded, signalling for Yeosang not to drive just yet.

The boy took a look at his own hand as if he'd never seen it before, "Uh- um...I don't know," he tried, but he broke under Wooyoung's sharp gaze, "He just gave it to us, he-he said he would kill us if we didn't wear it," he confessed, looking on the verge of tears.

"Who's he and what's your name?"

The boy swallowed, shaking his dark hair out of his eyes, "I- I'm Taehyun," he stuttered, "and I don't know who that guy was, just- just that he wanted us to wear these, and do these designs as our work on the walls instead of what we usually do."

Wooyoung hummed, "We are going somewhere now, Taehyun," he said, gesturning for Yeosang to drive, "and you are going to answer all our questions if you know what's good for you."

Taehyun nodded demurely, refusing to meet his eyes directly.

The rest of the ride was silent, with only small sniffles from the terrified looking boy interrupting the quiet.

They were back at HQ soon enough, and Wooyoung unstrapped the boy in the backseat, putting him in handcuffs for good measure. They stalked up the front stairs to the elevator, and made their way upto the third floor, where Seonghwa's office was.

Wooyoung told Yeosang that he could leave, because he didn't have much else to do, and the older willingly did so, tired out after long hours of hanging around a busy club.

Wooyoung pulled Taehyun alongside him, taking the boy to Seonghwa's office, "Boss," he said, choosing not to divulge any names, "I need a room to question him."

Seonghwa looked up from his computer, "Name?"

Wooyoung nudged the boy next to him, who squeaked out, "Oh- um...Kang Taehyun."

Seonghwa nodded, typing something, "Room 3 is free, you may go there," he paused, before adding "Taehyun-ssi, for your information, there will be cameras on you at all times, so do not try anything funny. Any and all information you divulge will be recorded, and I suggest you do not lie to us."

Taehyun looked positively alarmed, following mutely as Wooyoung dragged him out after bowing to Seonghwa, taking him to a room four doors down.

He made the younger sit in front of the table, choosing to stand himself, and gestured for him to place his cuffed hands on the table. He did so without complaint, and Wooyoung began his questioning, "You are Kang Taehyun, yes?"

"Yes," was the meek answer he received.

"You mentioned that 'he' was the one who gave you the ring that you are wearing on your left ring finger. Describe in detail, who this person is."

Taehyun gulped visibly, "Um...I- I don't know, just...my friends and I do street art sometimes, and while we were spray painting the wall in the subway, this guy with a hoodie and mask came to us and gave us these rings, he- he threatened to kill us if we didn't do everything he said."

Wooyoung nodded, mentally recording every word, an easy task for an experienced agent like him, "And what did he tell you to do?"

"He- he offered to pay us...quite generously, if we wore these rings and painted these symbols on every street wall we could find. So we agreed, for payment, of course. Um- he also said that if we ever saw anyone wearing a bracelet like yours, that we should run at once."

Wooyoung scoffed. The bracelet was becoming too well-known, he'd have to tell Hongjoong to think of something else. "And?" Wooyoung prompted, knowing that it wasn't the end of what Taehyun had to say.

He was right, "And he said he would pay us after the work was done, and that he would contact us himself, and never to go looking for him. He also said one more thing, though I don't know if it'll be of any use." By now, he seemed to have realised that Wooyoung meant no harm. That was good, it meant that he would be more willing to open up.

"Anything could be useful," Wooyoung countered.

"He said that.... The letter 'a' finally became the letter 'eo'," Taehyun seemed to contemplate it for a second before adding, "I'm not sure what he meant by that."

Wooyoung showed no emotion on his face, "Is that all you know?"

"Ye- yes, I swear I don't know anything else. If I do, I would've told you, I feel like you're trying to help me, you are, aren't you-"

Wooyoung cut him off with a chuckle, "Yes, I think we can remain on good terms as long as you listen to me. I promise, we aren't going to kill you or anything."

Taehyun heaved a sigh of relief, "Um...I- my mom will be looking for me, it's late, can I please call her?"

Wooyoung nodded, bringing the phone from the corner to Taehyun, "What's the number?"

Once he was given the number, he kept the phone on speaker to listen in. There was nothing out of the ordinary, with the younger just telling his mom not to worry and that he'd be home soon.

Wooyoung turned back to the younger, "Stay here. I will be right back."

Taehyun nodded, and Wooyoung left the room, a plan already forming in his mind.

_Please let this work._

*****

Wooyoung handed over the last of the bags to Yeosang, waving good-naturedly as his best friend got into the line at the airport gate, the furthest point till which Wooyoung could go before he had to leave.

Yeosang was going back home to Pohang for three weeks, as his mom had fallen sick, and his dad wasn't able to take care of their family-owned business by himself, and has called for Yeosang to take a sabbatical from work in order to help out until his mom was hale again.

They bid each other goodbye, and Wooyoung made his way out of the airport, running a hand through his hair. He hurried out and a little further ahead where he'd parked his car (they were given cars for their work, but they put it to personal use as well, because who would say no to a fancy car and choose public transport instead). He got in, starting the car and plugging his phone in to listen to his favourite kpop playlist, where more than half the songs were by BTS. 

Well, who could blame him?

He was gay, single and a normal adult male. He appreciated good looks when he saw them. Not to mention how talented they were.

He smiled, singing along cheerfully as he drove back towards HQ, where he was planning to finalise the POA he was formulating with the help of Mingi and Taehyun, the former of which who'd offered to help, as Wooyoung had had a feeling that he'd be needing a few extra pairs of hands on his side.

He drove through the familiar streets, voice loud and free in the privacy of his car, and passed a few signals before he began to see the corner of a familiar street.

It was the place that he'd gone the previous week with his hyungs, the ice cream shop where he'd seen the bloody handprints. He furrowed his brow at the memory, turning the corner into the street and coming into sight of the shop.

He was just driving past, when he caught sight of yet another skull painted on the wall next to the shop, the style a little different from what he'd seen Taehyun do before. He hummed along with BTS, attention captured by the curious painting, uncaring of it this time as he expected it to happen anyway.

He'd asked Taehyun to go ahead and keep doing what he was doing, until they had a proper plan in place. So passing streets with these symbols painted on them wasn't a foreign occurence by any means.

His gaze flitted over the wall, catching sight of something weird, and causing him to hit the brakes abruptly, making sure he'd parked somewhere legal, before exiting his car and pressing the button to lock it.

Once he heard the familiar click of the door, he walked over to the corner of the street, where it turned into a small alley, the kind that housed way too many residents for the amount of available space, somewhere that people went to have a smoke or do drugs during the weekend. It wasn't a very safe area, and that made the red stains on the wall all the more suspicious.

Wooyoung pulled his mask over his face and frowned at the sight of red, knowing that it was definitely blood. It dripped down the corner of the wall, meaning that whosever it was, the blood was fresh, and anyone who had lost that much blood was either dead or dying, and Wooyoung couldn't bring himself to simply walk away from that. So he followed the trail of red on the wall and floor, all the way into the alley. The place smelt stale and rancid, and was quite unpleasant on the eyes as well.

He didn't see anything for a second, as the trail stopped at a point a little further ahead, and his eyes didn't spot anything unusual or anyone in sight. Then his gaze dropped downwards, and the sight pulled a gasp from his lips.

There was a boy lying on the edge of the pavement, crumpled form heaving out short breaths, left wrist cradled in the other hand, and leaking blood from several spots on his body, clothes torn and tattered. His ruined garments were stained red, and so was his dark hair, which covered most of his face, and his body was bathed in the shadow and harsh light of cheap street lamps, giving the scene a sort of artistically horrifying setting.

Wooyoung crept forward gingerly, making sure not to make any sudden movements, and stopped just a foot or so away from the boy, who seemed to be too wrapped up in his own wounds to notice another presence so close to him.

"Hey..." He said, voiced hushed and guarded.

He thought that he wasn't heard at first, but then Wooyoung noticed the way the stranger's eyes followed the ground, all the way up from his shoes and to his face, and he finally met Wooyoung's worried eyes, and...

"San?!"

A glimmer of recognition flickered in his eyes, and he winced at Wooyoung's loud tone, "Wooyoung...ri-right?" He croaked out, voice nothing like the sweet melody he remembered from before.

Wooyoung dropped to a crouch, some tiny part of his mind wondering how San had even recognised him with a mask on, "Yeah, it's Wooyoung. What- what happened to you?"

San bit his already bruised lip, shaking his head almost imperceptibly, but Wooyoung noticed it, "I'm not saying," San said, "I- I still have no reason to tru- trust you," his voice broke on the last syllable, lips catching on a whimper, as Wooyoung reached out to grasp San gently by the shoulders and steady him.

Wooyoung sighed, "Okay, okay that's- that's fair, but will you let me help you? I promise I'm not going to hurt you," he reassured, something in his stomach clenching uncomfortably at his own words.

San looked up at him through teary, glazed eyes, the pain he was feeling marked in his pinched expression, "...okay."

Wooyoung soothed a hand over San's shoulder, trying to ignore the way it caused his hand to be bathed in crimson. But something told him that all of the blood wasn't his. It couldn't be his. If it were, San wouldn't even be alive at this point.

The thought shook him more than he was willing to admit.

He ignored the questions he had, despite his own mind's insistence that doing this would be a bad idea with no prior information. Something- the same thing that had caused him to let San go the last time- told him that it would be okay, that he had to help San, and everything else would come later.

So he took action immediately, his gaze immediately running over San's injured fame and taking in his disheveled appearance, "I'm going to be right back, okay? I can take you someplace safe, so we don't have to keep looking over our shoulders while I do this," Wooyoung determinedly ignored how suggestive that sounded, choosing to focus on the important thing, which was making sure that San stayed alive.

The latter nodded reluctantly, and Wooyoung gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile before getting up and jogging to his parked car, fishing out the first-aid supplies he kept in the trunk, and laying a thick blanket he had (thankfully) over the expensive leather before running back to San.

"Here's a painkiller. It works instantly, so once you take it, I can carry you to my car so that we can go to my place, is that okay with you?"

San looked on the verge of crying, but he silently accepted the pill that he was handed, peering at it suspiciously before swallowing it dry, clearly with difficulty, "Um- hospital...?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "I'm trained, don't worry. We can't go to the hospital, they'll ask too many questions, and it might take too long, which is time that we don't have right now."

San's conflicted expression stayed in place, but he didn't refute, and Wooyoung took his silence as a small victory.

Another moment of silence passed, and Wooyoung ran his gaze over San's crumpled form, trying to see where he was hurt so he could decide how to lift him up.

His head didn't seem hurt, although there was blood there. It was probably not his own, Wooyoung concluded with a grimace. His shirt was torn open at the front, a gash just below his ribs visible, like he'd been slashed with a small weapon, not too deep, but enought to leave a nasty sting. His arms were scratched in several places, but most of them were just little scrapes that would heal by themselves in a day or two.

The problem was his left wrist, clearly. It had been cradled protectively in the comfort of San's right hand the whole time, and the wince every time San moved it proved that something was clearly painful there. Maybe it was broken, he wasn't sure, he'd have to check. San was wearing loose jeans, fashionable but comfortable enough for room to breathe. The denim had been torn and cut away at the thighs, and there was a large stain of red on his right knee, clearly a scrape that was leaking through the material. The mix of colour would have been pretty if not for the circumstances.

"Okay, I'm going to try and lift you now, just let me know if anything hurts," Wooyoung placed a gentle hand under San's back, and another under his bent knees, managing to pick him up easily. He was surprisingly light for someone taller than him.

Picking San up only served to make him realise that the boy was bleeding from his upper back as well, and that he'd have to be extremely careful not to jostle anything and risk making the situation worse. He'd decided on carrying him princess-style, because this way San wouldn't have to move his wrist, which seemed to be hurt the most.

Despite how careful Wooyoung was being, San instinctively curled into himself in Wooyoung's arms, squeezing his eyes shut as he let out a soft cry, "Hurts," he whimpered, and Wooyoung felt terrible.

"I'm sorry," he whispered softly, beginning to walk, taking small steps until they reached the car, "We're here now. I'm going to put you down in the backseat, is that okay?"

San hummed, teardrops shining on his cheeks.

Wooyoung managed to use his flexibility to kick off his shoe and open the door with just his foot, thanking his own skills when he succeeded. He bent under the roof of the vehicle, maneuvering the boy in his arms to sit with his legs hanging out of the car. San grunted as he was placed down, and willingly allowed himself to be shifted into a more comfortable posture, leaning back against the seats as Wooyoung pushed them further backwards with the lever underneath.

Wooyoung slipped on his discarded shoe and grabbed the first aid kit he had kept in the front seat, retrieving a few things he needed for immediate care.

Getting the cotton and antiseptic, he dabbed some on the open cut in San's abdomen, apologising as the latter hissed from discomfort.

Thankfully, there was no one around on the road and Wooyoung could do what needed to be done immediately, in peace.

He also stripped San's tattered shirt completely off him, placing the ruined fabric on the edge of the blanket before beckoning him to lean forward a little, so Wooyoung could wipe the blood that stained his back, and leave the wound free for the time being.

After a few minutes, the shorter had taken care of whatever needed immediate attention, and made sure San was sitting comfortably before closing the door and walking over to the driver's seat.

Wooyoung got in, turning the key in the ignition and waiting for the familiar rumble of the engine before starting to drive, away from the alley that now held so many memories.

The drive was spent in silence, save for San's uncoordinated whimpers and cries of pain on every speed bump, that made Wooyoung's throat constrict on itself more with each pitiful sound.

He didn't know why his sympathy was so pronounced, but it wasn't the time to dwell on it, so he just drove silently, blocking out all thoughts that weren't simply prudential. Once they reached the apartment, Wooyoung got out again to heave a shirtless San into his arms, locking the door first before lifting him properly, holding him as close and gently as he could, and proceeded to carry him up the main stairs, grunting from the effort.

Yes, he was indeed muscular and strong due to his line of work, but still, picking up a twenty-somwthing year old boy and carrying him up the stairs while trying not to move him too much was a feat in itself.

"Okay, my place is a little further up, so we're going to go to the elevator. Don't worry, it's not small by any means, but it might be a sort of a tight fit," he warned, and made his way to the elevator, once again thanking his own flexibility and muscle control as he pressed the buttons with the tip of his shoe.

Once they were up, Wooyoung made quick work of the password at the door, also with his foot after kicking off both his shoes. He made a mental note to change it again, as San had seen it now, and carried San inside, going straight to his broad couch to place him gingerly on the cushions, before going back to lock the door and change his password when San wasn't looking.

"San?" He called, "Lie down if you feel comfortable, I'll get you some water and my supplies so we can fix you up," he instructed, shuffling around to do the honours. He peeled the mask off his face, figuring he wouldn't need it anymore, and made his way back to San with a small suitcase in hand, containing his medical supplies.

They had all been given basic medical education, with the knowledge on how to stitch up deep gashes and take care of small fractures, as such injuries were more common than you'd think, and the hospital always had more important things to look into, as did Yunho. If there were any serious or life-threatening injuries, they would go to Yunho first, and if he wasn't able to fix it completely, only then would they think about going to a hospital.

Wooyoung sat down beside San, who was still seated silently, teeth digging into his bruised lip to stop his own cries of pain from escaping. Wooyoung imagined reaching out to smoothen it, running his thumb over the soft skin, and shook the thought away abruptly, wondering what could have caused such a thing to even occur to him.

He handed San a glass of water, watching him gulp down the liquid eagerly, swallowing before giving the glass back to Wooyoung, who simply placed it on the ground and turned back to the other.

Then, Wooyoung got to work, prodding and feeling San up in different places to understand what the issues were.

It wasn't as bad as it looked, thankfully.

The gash under his ribs needed stitches, but had stopped bleeding so much now. His back needed a few stitches too, dried blood surrounding the wound. His lip was split and bleeding, but Wooyoung couldn't do anything to fix that other than give him a cream, and the same went for his arms as well, that were scratched up but not bruised badly enough to need external help to heal.

Wooyoung nodded to himself, silently running his hands over San's surprisingly sculpted torso, "Okay, I'm going to give you an anaesthetic shot so I can stitch these up. We can take a look at your wrist after that," he explained.

San looked at him questioningly, "Why are you helping me?" He asked suddenly, and Wooyoung wasn't prepared for that question to come his way.

"Because...you needed help, and I couldn't just leave you there like that," Wooyoung answered simply, but it seemed to be enough for San, who gave him that beautiful smile, the one he remembered seeing the last time they'd met, dimples boring into his cheeks and eyes crinkling up.

"Thank you," San whispered, voice so soft that no one who wasn't as close to him as Wooyoung was could have picked it up.

Wooyoung searched San's eyes, looking for the slightest hint of hesitation or discomfort, but he saw none. Did San really trust him? After explicitly saying that he didn't?

Their gazes stayed locked for a torturous second, San's smile slipping slightly from his face as Wooyoung felt his cheeks heat up. He forced down the blush that was forming, and abruptly broke their eye contact, shifting to make sure San was leaning back comfortably.

Wooyoung unconsciously moved the hand that was placed on San's front, accidentally brushing it over a sore spot and causing San to tense up with a gasp, "'M sorry," Wooyoung mumbled, before getting the anaesthetic he needed to give San.

Wooyoung's brain had almost combusted at their- for lack of a better word- _intense,_ eye contact.

What the heck was that?

Why did he feel like he'd just gotten all the air punched out of him in that one moment?

He tried to ignore the way his heart skipped a beat when San shifted, his pants riding low on his hips, and swallowed thickly, focussing on the task at hand.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooooooo 
> 
> I hate putting my baby in pain, but you gotta do what you gotta do for the story right?? 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter in the comments, and subscribe to follow the story!!! 😁😁
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wooyoung read aloud, "The Death of the SCAR, a New Beginning. The Beginning of the End."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!! I'm back with chapter 4!! 
> 
> I'm glad you guys have liked this story so far😊 Let me know what you think of this chapter in the comments, and subscribe to follow the story!!! 😁😁😁 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Until what point is it creepy to stare at someone when they're sleeping?

Okay, probably anytime.

But Wooyoung just couldn't bring his eyes to stray away from the sight of a sleeping San, shirtless and bandaged in several places, wrist in a cast, jeans replaced by a pair of loose shorts that belonged to Wooyoung.

He wasn't perfect, not by a long shot.

There was a birthmark half disappearing into his shorts, a nasty bruise near his waist, a scar on his hip, an old one that stretched across a few inches of his hipbone. He eyes were closed, lashes casting shadows on his cheeks, making the already present dark circles appear even darker. His neck was dotted with little freckles, unnoticable if you were too far away. There were four beauty marks on his face, a constellation on his cheek and Wooyoung suddenly had the incredibly ghastly thought of kissing them.

He ripped his gaze away before his mind wandered to other...less innocent places, that maybe had something to do with the way the shorts were hanging low on his hips, showing off an impressive V.

Wooyoung stood, moving away from the couch and going to the kitchen to get himself something to eat. He hadn't eaten since that morning and it was already past three, ergo he was starving.

He took another look at the sleeping boy over his shoulder, and decided that he probably needed something filling and nutritious to get him going when he awoke. So he decided to make kimchi fried rice and soup, something he hadn't done in a while, but he was sure he could manage it. He already had kimchi in his fridge, thanks to Yunho's mom, and he was pretty sure he had the rest of the ingredients somewhere in his kitchen as well.

Just as he was turning the gas off after finishing up, he heard a groan from the living room, and walked over to see San wince as he arose to a sitting position, legs stretched out across the couch, "Hey," he greeted, "how are you feeling?"

San grunted, "Like I just got run over by a truck."

Wooyoung gave him a sympathetic smile, "It'll feel that way for a while, sorry."

San nodded, "I know," he replied, but the way he did so irked Wooyoung, as the answer had been too simple, barely thought out, meaning that this probably wasn't the first time San had been in this kind of pain.

He resisted the urge to ask, instead resorting to, "Have you eaten?"

San shook his head, inspecting the cast on his own wrist and wriggling his exposed fingers, "No."

Wooyoung nodded, "I thought as much. One second, I'll bring the stuff here and keep it on the coffee table. How do feel about kimchi fried rice and vegetable soup?"

San stared at Wooyoung as he smiled at him warmly, looking every bit like an innocent college student, and nothing like the dangerous man who was capable of killing in cold blood that he'd witnessed a week ago, "Why are you being so nice to me?" San blurted.

Wooyoung tilted his head, still smiling, "If I can't ask you questions, you can't question me either," he started walking towards the kitchen, "but I do have my reasons, Choi San."

Wooyoung brought the food to the living room, placing it on the table and handing San a bowl, spooning rice into it, and then taking some for himself.

The two of them ate in silence, with the only interruption being San complimenting Wooyoung's cooking, and the shorter thanking him.

Once they were done and Wooyoung had taken the dishes to the sink, he came back to the living room, "Let me check on you again, and I can tell you some medicines that will help with the pain, but I can't give you an actual prescription, is that okay?"

San peered at him, probably still put off by all the care he was receiving, but nodded anyway, "I'll manage."

"Hm. Lie back a little," Wooyoung instructed, and started by placing his hands over the bandages to check if they were good enough, and then he handed San the ointment that he'd have to put on some of his bruises, "Okay, you're good."

San gave him a smile, showing off his dimples, "I would ask how you're so good at treating wounds, but I think we have a no-question policy in place," he commented.

Wooyoung chuckled, "True, true."

Wooyoung gave San a once over, noticing that the bruises that he'd gotten the previous day weren't the only ones on his body, and he had other, older wounds as well, clearly not taken care of. They'd left behind tiny scars, and old patches of skin, that Wooyoung was obligated not to ask about, but he couldn't help but wonder.

"I think you can go home now, actually. I'll give you a shirt of mine to wear, your clothes are ruined anyway," Wooyoung said, "I've already given you the instructions on how to take care of your wounds, don't forget to get your stitches out in a hospital next week. And don't worry, they won't ask questions, I know from experience."

San nodded, "I owe you a lot for this," he said, looking somewhat guilty.

Wooyoung shook his head, "No you don't. Don't worry about it, I merely helped someone who needed it. Let's call it even."

San looked at him curiously, "But I didn't-"

"I said don't worry about it," Wooyoung repeated, smiling reassuringly, "Trust me, you're not the first person I've done this for, you'd be surprised at how often this happens in my line of work-" he stopped abruptly, realising he'd said too much, "-wait, forget I ever said that."

San shrugged, "It's fine, there's no one I would tell anyway." The way he said it was a little sad, sort of regretful, but Wooyoung didn't question it. He didn't question anything, simply taking San's hesitance to talk as distrust for him, even though some part of him was already aware that it wasn't that, considering how soundly San had slept in his presence. He wouldn't have done that of he didn't trust him on some level, at least.

But still, Wooyoung respected San's insistence to stay quiet about his background. He couldn't blame him for it, "Thanks," he said simply.

A long second of silence passed, and then Wooyoung stood to go into his and Yeosang's shared bedroom and grab a t shirt for San, bringing it to the living room and helping him slip it on over his immobile wrist. It was a plain black t shirt, not very fashionable, but San looked like a freaking model in it anyway, and Wooyoung shook the thought away as fast as it had come.

"I can drive you home if you'd like," he offered.

"Are you sure it's not too much trouble-"

"San," Wooyoung sighed, "Just say yes."

San gave him a tiny grin, "Yeah, okay." Wooyoung returned the grin, and went to grab his wallet and phone, slipping them into his pockets. He didn't bother taking any weapons, because of how suspicious it would look to San, and also because he definitely wouldn't be facing any danger if he was just going to drive him home and come right back.

He helped San get in, the latter wincing as he had to bend his scraped knee to sit properly, but he managed. Wooyoung went over to the driver's side, getting in and starting the car, "Where to?"

"Before I tell you that, will you let me admire how beautiful your car is, like, dude you're rich!" San exclaimed, staring around the interior in awe, "What I wouldn't give to get me a baby like this."

Wooyoung chuckled, "It's not mine. It's a work car, but I use it for myself anyway. Flaunt it while you got it, right?"

San nodded, "Heck yeah."

Wooyoung's smile remained on his face for a few moments, looking at San as he ran his uninjured hand over the dashboard and speaker systems, silently admiring everything. Wooyoung noticed the way San's eyes crinkled into little crescents, uniquely dyed hair falling in his eyes as he stared around the car. His eyes shone with eagerness and innocence, and Wooyoung couldn't help the way his heart did a little flutter inside his chest at the bright smile on San's tired face.

"So, where do you live?" He asked, trying and failing not to notice the way San ran his tongue over his lips, moistening them.

"I live just outside campus," he answered, "Just go this way, I'll guide you."

Wooyoung hummed, following San's instructions, until they came to a flat, with four small studio apartments. It was just two stories high, and San explained that he lived on the first floor, and the person below him had vacated the place a month or so ago.

Despite San's reluctance, Wooyoung insisted on walking him to his door, and they walked up the stairs in silence, having to do so with Wooyoung trailing behind San because of how narrow the steps were.

San reached under the doormat, pulling out the key, and inserting it in the lock, only to find that the door was already open. He furrowed his brows, pushing the door open, and gasped at the sight, stopping in his tracks.

"What is it?" Wooyoung asked, trying to look over San's shoulder.

The latter stepped inside, eyes wide with shock and fear as he took in the sight around him. The action allowed Wooyoung to see what was going on, and his first instinct was to reach for his pistol, and then he remembered that he didn't have it. Fucking great.

The entire back wall was slashed at, red paint streaking all the four walls, and even the inside of the door. The furniture was overturned and a lot of it was broken, and what looked like an expensive computer was lying broken on the ground. The place looked like it had been robbed, but the paint and ruined wallpaper was strange, to say the least. Wooyoung had a bad feeling in his gut- one that was usually never wrong- and he hurriedly walked in front of San, shielding him, "Stay quiet," he ordered, his agent personality taking over, "and stay put."

San nodded shakily, holding his cast in a way that could not be good on his wrist, but Wooyoung didn't have the time to tell him not to, too invested in whatever the hell was going on.

He moved as fast and as quietly as he could, looking around to see if there was anyone else, and only when he was sure that the place was empty except for the two of them, he went back to San.

The latter was staring intently at a spot on the corner of the wall, and Wooyoung followed his gaze, landing on the corner where there was an eerily familiar painting of a hand with a knife through it. It was quite big, taking up about a quarter of the wall, and looked like it had been done in a hurry.

It was the symbol of SCAR, the group that had been thoroughly destroyed a few years ago. But the symbol was... crossed over with a huge black cross, painted over it thickly, and there were words too. Wooyoung stepped closer to read aloud, "The Death of the SCAR, a New Beginning. The Beginning of the End."

San shivered, rooted to his spot, "Wha- what's that?"

Wooyoung didn't respond. His mind was too busy taking in all the details, wondering how this could possibly have happened. Then he looked down, and saw a picture, and it gave him all the answers he needed. He bent down to pick it up, and nearly hit himself at his own idiocy.

It was clearly a picture from the camera footage outside the ice cream shop. It was him, carrying San in his arms, the latter bruised up and bleeding, curling into him with his eyes shut. He turned the photo around, and the threatening words written on the back gave him chills.

_You took ours. We will take yours next. Try to find us, and Choi San dies before you can even say his name._

"Fuck!" He swore, kicking the ruined wall with his boot.

San looked at him, wide-eyed, "What's going on?" He asked, voice shaky, "Do you- do you know what this is about?" He gestured to the mess around them.

Wooyoung didn't feel the urge to reply, instead grabbing his phone so that he could take photos of everything around him, making one long panorama of the entire place so he could zoom in and analyse it when he got back home. He took the photo on the ground with him, to look at later. Plus, he couldn't risk anyone finding it.

Wooyoung put his phone back in his pocket and inhaled deeply, trying to calm the mess of thoughts in his mind. He walked over to San, grabbing him by the shoulder and guiding him out, "Lock the door," he ordered, voice firm, and San did so without protest, understanding that this was obviously a precarious situation, "Out," he said, turning away without another glance and beginning to take long strides down the stairs, "Bring the key with you."

San followed him like a kicked puppy, eyes wide and hair tousled, biting his lip nervously as he willingly got back into Wooyoung's car.

Wooyoung began to drive, and San thankfully knew to shut up and not make a single sound through the drive back to Wooyoung's. This let the latter stew in his own thoughts a little, trying to figure out something, _anything_ , that would give him the upper hand.

The agent's mind went over everything he knew so far, which was pretty much null. There wasn't much to go off of, at least not until he got Mingi to do a search of San's apartment- but not without backup, of course. Since he was the head of this thing anyways, he could afford to get one of the rookie agents to join him as well. He'd been hearing about a particularly promising candidate, Choi Jongho, and he made a mental note to ask Seonghwa about him.

He definitely had to look into the deceased Kim Kyunghun's background a little more, and the same applied to Jeong Minhee. And the whole weird note about SCAR. Then he'd have to call Taehyun in so they could talk about the final details of the plan that was already brewing quite well. Yeonjun would have to be given updates on everything, as he was the only one with full knowledge of the happenings.

But the most important factor at the moment...was seated next to him, fidgeting with a loose thread on the edge of the shirt he'd borrowed.

"San?" Wooyoung called.

"Yeah?" His voice was small and pinched, sounding like he was suppressing himself from launching into panicked sobs at any second now. Wooyoung couldn't blame him, his house had just been pretty much destroyed, and now he was being driven off to a stranger's apartment, with absolutely no say in the matter.

"I'm gonna need you to stay calm, okay? There's a lot going on that you don't know about, and it isn't safe for you to know either, but....I promise you that no matter what, I won't let you get hurt," Wooyoung reassured, resisting the urge to place one hand on San's clammy palms and keep him from fidgeting so much.

"Am I not already hurt?" San questioned.

Wooyoung nodded, face set in a deep frown, "Yes, but that was honestly not much. If this goes on..." He trailed off, the implications of his grim tone not lost on San.

"...oh."

Wooyoung sighed, "Look, let's just talk about this at my place, okay?"

San nodded.

Wooyoung felt like a douche.

*****

San was seated across from Wooyoung on the couch, that now had a few brown stains on it from his own blood. He had his good hand in his mouth, gnawing at his fingernails as he stared blankly past the figure in front of him.

"Okay, San. I want you to listen carefully, and for god's sake don't scream or freak out at me, because I really don't think I could handle that right now," Wooyoung said, and San nodded mutely, still not looking at him.

"I'm actually an agent for the government, which I obviously couldn't tell you before, but you need to know it now so we can make sure you stay safe," San snapped his gaze to Wooyoung at the confession, eyes wide from surprise. "So at the moment, we're working on a case, and though you can't know what it entails, I will need to tell you _some_ stuff."

San's nails were bitten raw, but it didn't deter him. He continued nibbling at the dead skin at the corner of his nails as he stared ahead, eyes blown with fear and panic.

"Remember the guy I killed? I was on an assignment then, and you just happened to be a complication in the middle. In fact, I should never have allowed you to leave; protocol is to bring any witnesses into HQ, but...you seemed trustworthy, so I let you go," he explained, "Anyways, the guy happened to be working for a higher power, and we're in the middle of finding out who. I took charge of the mission, because I wanted to protect you from the crossfire."

"Why?" San cut in.

"I- because getting in the middle of this would mean literal death for you, and I wanted to make it upto you some way, for refusing to give you my number," Wooyoung admitted bashfully.

"But what about the break-in at my apartment? Am I supposed to report it to the police?" San looked worried.

Wooyoung chuckled, "San-ah, I _am_ the police," he clarified, the nickname slipping out unknowingly. San didn't protest, so he went with it. "In fact, we work better than your local police, so you can trust us to solve this issue."

"Oh," San said, finally freeing his fingers from the harsh clutches of his pearly whites. Somehow, the dark circles under his eyes seemed more pronounced than ever.

"San, I now you're probably not going to like my asking this after we established that we wouldn't ask questions, but I need to know what happened to you this morning, it could be useful," even saying it felt weird, as it felt like so much time had passed, and the knowledge that it was all just a few hours ago made Wooyoung feel strange, at the very least.

San avoided his gaze, "I guess I do owe you."

Wooyoung shifted a tad closer, hoping to provide a little comfort. He didn't miss the way San instinctively leaned away. If it irked him, he didn't comment on it.

San sighed, "I was bullied," he said softly.

Wooyoung tilted his head curiously, "Bullied? But why?"

San shrugged, "A lot of things, I guess. I'm gay, for one, and it doesn't come across very well in our country, obviously. And- and my family isn't too....clean."

"What does that mean?"

"My dad was sort of a- a criminal. You might know him. Choi Yeonseung?" He raised his brows, and Wooyoung's jaw dropped at the admission.

Yes, he knew him. There probably wasn't a single adult in the country who didn't, at this point.

Choi Yeonseung, betrayed the government to SCAR. Despite working at a normal job as an accountant in a government department, he had leaked important accounting information and details of several financial transactions, both military and otherwise, to SCAR, and was one of the first to be caught and imprisoned.

Wooyoung took in a deep breath, "San, you have to be a hundred percent honest with me now. This could be a matter of life or death for both you and me, you understand?" When he received a nod, he continued, "What do you know about SCAR?"

San shook his head, "Honestly, I didn't know anything. Not until dad was imprisoned. He was just a normal dad to me, and my mom and noona didn't know anything either. It was a shock to all of us when it happened. But despite everything I say, no one believes me, and I'm still always alone at uni. That's why I came and talked to you, Wooyoung. Because I haven't had a normal life in forever, and you were really cute, so I wanted to get to know you, and maybe have a friend who didn't judge me by my family, for once."

Wooyoung smiled. He could see the sincerity in San's eyes. He was obviously telling the truth, and he knew he could believe him, "Okay," he said, "you don't know anything useful then?"

"No."

Wooyoung nodded to himself, "Just one more question; do you get physically hurt like this often?"

San bit his slightly swollen lip, tiny cut still prominent on it, "...yeah, I do. I've become like...the token punching bag for the guys in my year. It's- I've gotten kind of used to it now, but today was especially bad. This guy flirted with me, and he was cute so I played along, but then his friends showed up and said it was a prank, and they called me names and beat me up, I-" he stopped, teeth digging into his bottom lip.

Wooyoung shifted closer again, and this time San didn't try to lean away. He opened his mouth to apologise, but San was talking again, and he stopped his own words to listen.

"It's always the ice cream shop, _always_ there. Probably because they know I go there often. Usually it's in the bathroom, but when they found out that I can escape through the window that they're too big to fit through, they started luring me to the back and beating me up there. I even learned how to defend myself a little, which probably explains the amount of blood you saw, cause some of it wasn't mine, but they still overpowered me," San said, "I- the only reason I keep going there is because I have strong memories attached to the place, otherwise I would've ditched it by now. It's pretty much the only place my dad used to take me and my noona to, when he was still happy and not...betraying the government."

Wooyoung frowned, "I'm sorry you have to deal with that. If it's any consolation, I've already made up my mind about you, and it has nothing to do with your father."

San raised an eyebrow at him, "Then how come you said no when I asked for your number?"

"Wha- wha, no, it's not like- like that-" Wooyoung's stuttered helplessly, and then he caught the twinkle of mischief in San's eyes, "Jerk!" He scolded, gently shoving him by the shoulder, careful not to hurt him.

San grinned, showing off his dimples, and Wooyoung's heart did a little thing in his chest that he decided to blatantly ignore. "That's okay, I understand why you rejected me," San said, shrugging, "I'm not exactly.... boyfriend-material."

Wooyoung gasped, leaning back, "Wha- are you crazy? I only said no because of my job, you know, cause lying to someone I'm dating kind of complicates things," Wooyoung clarified.

San cocked his head, as if he was contemplating something very deeply, "So if you weren't an agent or whatever, you would've said yes?" He asked, just to verify.

Wooyoung couldn't help the little flush that crept up his cheeks, "You're pretty cute too, you know. So yeah, I would've."

San hummed, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Helping me, getting me out of trouble, talking to me, taking care of my wounds, bringing me here, saying I'm cute," San counted off his fingers, "there's probably more I could think of, but yeah."

Wooyoung giggled, "You're welcome, San-ah."

They spent some time on the mindless back and forth, until the sky started getting darker and then the problem of 'what now?' began to surface.

Wooyoung had sent the pictures of San's place that he'd taken, and the photo that was on the ground, to Yeonjun, and he'd told Mingi as much as he could without giving away the fact that he was hiding the existence of a whole person. He'd just said that he was passing by the place, and it looked weird so he checked it out and ended up seeing the result of a break-in by someone, clearly someone who hated SCAR.

Mingi had left a while ago, taking Yunho along with him, to go check out what was going on at San's place. He'd said that a fingerprint check and full scouring of the place would be done, and they would set up cameras around the place in case anything similar occurred in the future. Wooyoung was a little worried about whether they would try to trace the break-in back to San, but he decided he would deal with it if it came up.

San turned to him, "Wooyoung, what should I do now?"

The aforementioned man sighed, "I don't know. I'm so, _so_ sorry, San. I don't know anything, not until agent 2411 tells me somethi-" and then his phone rang as if on cue, loud default ringtone blaring out.

Wooyoung scrambled to answer it, "Hello?"

"2411 here. Wooyoung-ah...there's been a problem," the low timbre of Mingi's voice was heard over the line.

Wooyoung frowned, "What problem?" He put the line on speaker so San could listen in too.

"This place you told me to go, there's been a fire. It's all gone, there's- there's no one here, two people died, there's literally nothing left, I don't know what-"

But Wooyoung wasn't listening anymore. He stared in front of him at San's pinched face, who's expression was unreadable, but was clearly suppressing a huge breakdown.

"Agent 2411, find out _everything_ you can, please. Send me the details on our server, code it so it can't be hacked, I- I have to go," Wooyoung pleaded, hanging up the call hurriedly so he could...he didn't know what, actually, but all he knew was that he had to be there for San, he had to do _something_ , anything.

"San, San-ah, are you-"

"Okay? Oh, absolutely, I'm fine. I just found out that my whole _life_ has been burned down; not only am I a target for bullies, now a freaking _criminal organisation_ is after me, I have a broken wrist, and my body feels like I've been run over. So thanks for asking, Wooyoung, because _I'm doing fine!_ " San snapped, eyes shining with tears of frustration.

Wooyoung felt a desperate to do something, and as a last resort, closed the distance between him and San and wrapped his arms around the trembling boy, providing comfort in the only way he knew. San didn't flinch away, and even pushed himself further into Wooyoung's arms, squeezing his eyes shut to stop the tears from falling.

It didn't work, and soon, San was a mess, sobbing into Wooyoung's neck, injured wrist tucked into the latter's chest as he whimpered and whined stupidly.

Wooyoung sighed sympathetically, rubbing gentle circles into San's back as the latter broke down in his arms.

He didn't deserve this.

No one did.

San let out a another broken sound, burrowing himself into the curve of Wooyoung's body, and the latter's heart broke for him.

Wooyoung swore to himself, then, that no matter what happened, he would protect San.

He owed him that, at least, for all the crap he'd been put through, both because of him and otherwise.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooohoo that was a crazy one, huh? did it answer some of your questions? Let me know in the comments!! 😁 
> 
> This story is more plot heavy than my previous ones, so I need feedback from you guys, please point out any mistakes I make 💕 
> 
> Leave kudos, comments and subscribe!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Saturday next week. 11 pm, the back alley of the club 'Glamour'. Wear a mask and the ring. Bring your friends. If you inform or bring anyone else, you will not live through this. The exchange will be made there in cash.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! 
> 
> Omg I can't believe how much support I've gotten so far, you guys are the best 🤭❤️ 
> 
> Aaaand now I present to you, chapter five!!! (Lol that was cringey af 😂 )
> 
> Anyway, leave comments and subscribe to follow this story!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

San stayed the night that day, obviously.

Wooyoung wouldn't let him go after the nonsense that had happened before. So even as San slept on his bed- surprisingly peaceful considering all that had transpired- Wooyoung couldn't.

He simply couldn't get himself to relax enough to shut his eyes and get some sleep. He could only focus on the pictures and the details that Mingi had sent him, squinting at his laptop in the dark, leaning over his desk in a postion that probably wasn't good for his spine. He blinked slowly, sighing in relief when he saw that the only stuff that had been saved from San's place, thankfully, was from his bedroom. A few pairs of clothes, three big plastic boxes with some things inside, a backpack, and some other miscellaneous stuff that wasn't mentioned in the report.

So now there was a huge box of stuff that belonged to San in Mingi's place, and the younger wasn't really sure how he was going to get Mingi to give it to him without sounding suspicious.

He decided he would figure it out the next day, and went back to poring over several paragraphs of reports and texts.

They hadn't found much trace of anything there, really, and the only significant thing they'd actually done was identify that the apartment belonged to Choi San. Wooyoung figured he would deal with that by asking to go see San himself, when of course he wouldn't need to.

He stood abruptly, walking to the dresser to grab the bottle of water he always kept there and drank a few sips, feeling tired but not sleepy. He placed the bottle back down and stretched his arms above his head, wincing at the distinct crack that was heard.

He really had to go the gym soon.

He sighed and walked back over to his system, sitting even as the chair squeaked in protest, and went back to scrolling down, reading as fast as he could.

San's light snores in the background made him chuckle, as the former shifted and rolled over in bed, mumbling something indecipherable.

Wooyoung wondered if San was hiding something from him. Would he? Even ater he'd helped him so much? No, probably not.

But still, the revelation that his father was a part of SCAR had thrown Wooyoung off a little bit.

And speaking of SCAR, what had all that stuff from the afternoon been about? The crossed out symbol of the organisation, the cryptic words under it, as if whoever it was wanted to make it clear that they despised SCAR.

In that case, was it possible that whoever it was only went after San because of his connection to SCAR, and really had nothing to do with the big picture? No, that wasn't plausible either, because the picture had been there. The one saying that Wooyoung had "taken" one of theirs, and that San would be next. They wouldn't know about Wooyoung having killed Kyunghun if they were only after San.

Well, if there was anything he knew for sure, it was that he had to call Taehyun in the next day, to let him know the final POA that Seonghwa had approved of. Only then would he be getting somewhere, and not going around in circles like it seemed he was at the moment.

With the help of Mingi, and at the same time unbeknownst to him, Yeonjun, Wooyoung had drafted quite the POA. He knew that Taehyun would be willing to co-operate, as he'd been promised safety for him and his two friends if he went along with the plan.

Then, Wooyoung's mind strayed- as it seemed to do often lately- back to San.

He'd thoroughly examined the photos he'd taken of the apartment, blowing them up to the maximum size and sending them to Yeonjun to check further. On his own, his search had been unfruitful, but he supposed having another's opinion would aid him.

The one interesting thing, or perhaps terrifying thing, that he'd learnt was that the fire had not been an accident, according to the reports. That meant that there was someone out there who was willing to go pretty far in order to scare them. Even as far as setting a whole flat on fire, uncaring of whoever lived there.

And then there was still the problem that San had prety much been forcefully evicted, and now had to find some place to stay. Wooyoung would ask him the next day if he had any friends to stay with, although he doubted it, or if he preferred tracking down his family and staying with them for the time being. He still had to go for his classes because above all, he was still a student.

Wooyoung wanted to groan out loud, but restrained himself for fear of waking up the boy blissfully sleeping behind him.

The confession from San that he'd been bullied that day, many days, until he was bruised and bleeding and broken, had shaken Wooyoung more than he had shown. It wasn't a far leap to guess that the handprints he'd seen the other day, in the exact same location, belonged to San.

Bullying had always been sort of a foreign concept to him. He'd never thought of at is as going this far; until the victim was left as good as dead. And suddenly, being faced with the responsibility to deal with this felt like he was having an out-of-body experience, like his own self was chiding his brain and his heart for being stupid and inconsiderate towards San.

He knew that he wasn't actually doing stuff wrong, but he couldn't help but feel like he was, like something was amiss.

He shrugged it off as just nervousness and continued his work, swallowing down the yawn in his throat.

He grabbed his phone and opened the notes app, typing out all the things he had yet to do, starting from calling Taehyun in the morning, to finding out 

He ended up staying awake the whole night, only ending up falling asleep on his desk as the rays of sunlight began peeking in through the windows, painting his hair golden brown as he fell unconscious with his head pillowed uncomfortably on his own arm.

*****

Wooyoung awoke to the sound of his own phone buzzing, and groaned as he slapped at it to switch off the seven am alarm. He'd been asleep for around an hour at best.

He rose, blinking residual sleep out of his eyes and regretting the awkward position he'd fallen asleep in, as he stretched and walked over to the bathroom to brush his teeth quickly.

San was still passed out in his bed, and since it was a Sunday, Wooyoung was sure he wouldn't have class or anything, so he just decided to let him sleep. He went to his kitchen to make sure he had cereal and milk for when San woke up, before returning to his bedroom and grabbing his phone, dialling a familiar number as he walked out into the living room to talk so he wouldn't disturb the sleeping boy.

"Hello?"

"Yeonjun-ah, did you find anything?"

"No, not really. But I promise I'm working on it. By the way, the kid's stuff was dropped off at my place by Mingi and Yunho, you can come get it if you'd like. Does he have anywhere else to stay?" Yeonjun questioned.

"I don't know, he's still asleep. I'll talk to him when he wakes up."

Yeonjun hummed in affirmation, "And to think if you guys had stayed in there just ten minutes longer yesterday you'd both be burned to a crisp. It's a good thing you got out when you did, huh?"

Wooyoung shuddered, "Please don't remind me," he said on a deep breath, "And there's one more thing I'd like you to do. Just make sure that whatever happens, I'm the one who gets to talk to San about the fire thing okay? I don't want anyone else to know about his involvement beyond what's on a need-to-know basis."

Yeonjun grunted, "Why are you so bent on keeping him a secret anyway? Won't it be fine to take him to Hongjoong-hyung; he hadn't done anything wrong, has he?"

Honestly, if Wooyoung could answer that, he would. But the truth was...he didn't know how to say that something in him was stopping him from taking San to his superiors. He had a feeling that housing the son of a dangerous criminal, even for a single night, would not be taken lightly. Not to mention covering up his tracks after getting involved in an important case.

"I just... Have my reasons, Yeonjun-ah," he said with finality, and they said their goodbyes before ending the call. Thankfully Yeonjun hadn't pushed it further, because once he was backed into a corner like that, Wooyoung wasn't sure whether he would've been able to escape unscathed.

He licked his chapped lips, making a mental note to steal his lip balm back from Yeosang's cupboard, and called another number.

A few rings later, the line was picked up, "Hello?"

"Taehyun, this is 2410," that was the code he'd given to the younger, since he didn't want to reveal any names in case of complications, "Come to the same place I took you last time. I'll expect you by nine. We'll have a chat."

"Okay, I also have something you need to know, the ring guy gave me a-"

"Not over the phone," Wooyoung interrupted, "Tell me when you get there."

Taehyun gave him an affirmation, and Wooyoung hung up the phone, keeping it on the table before deciding that he needed a shower. He went to his bedroom, expecting to see San still asleep, but was proved wrong when he entered to see the boy sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes with the sole of his free palm, the one that wasn't in a castl.

"Oh, you're awake already?"

San looked up at him, "My body clock is wired to wake up this early, it's not unusual," he explained, "and, um...thank you for letting me stay the night."

There were still tear tracks on his cheeks from the previous night, and his hair was a mess, random turquoise strands haphazardly sticking up between the black. He was still dressed in Wooyoung's clothes from the previous day, and his legs hung over the side of the bed as he blinked himself awake.

"Don't mention it," Wooyoung replied, "We have some things that we need to discuss, do you want to shower or something first?" He offered, and San shook his head in reply. "I don't have morning breath, thankfully. So I'm fine."

Wooyoung suppressed his jealous pout. Not having morning breath was so not fair. Instead of voicing this, he said, "Okay, so I'll check on your bandages and stuff first and then we'll talk."

When Wooyoung had deemed San's injuries to be healing properly, and that his bandages were in place as they were meant to be, he sank down beside the other on the bed, beginning to speak.

"Some of your stuff was recovered from the building, and it's right now in my friend's place. He is the only one that knows about you, and the only one I trust with this at the moment, do you understand?" San nodded solemnly, and Wooyoung continued, "Do you have another place to stay?"

San looked away from him, nervously worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, "I'm not sure. Because those in my family who didn't completely cut us out, live in Namhae, not here. And I don't really have friends here. I guess the only option would be to approach the uni head and ask for accommodation temporarily, I don't know...." He trailed off, and Wooyoung frowned.

He'd never been really alone in his life- not like San was. He'd always had his parents on his side, and his younger brother. His family supported him a lot, and he'd been popular enough in school to have a little unit of friends. Now, he had his colleagues on the force, who'd become more like brothers than co-workers to him. It was apparent in the way Hongjoong and Seonghwa insisted on being called 'hyung' despite their seniority in the force.

But San...he really was alone. He didn't have what Wooyoung had. And even if he went looking for friends now, no one would want to associate with him simply because of some stupid prejudices. Really, no matter how many times people said 'Don't judge a book by it's cover', they seemed to be unable to get the true meaning behind it into their thick skulls.

So Wooyoung looked San straight in the eye, and said the worst thing he could've possibly said.

"Stay with me."

San choked on air, "Wha- _what_ , I'm not sure I heard you right, did you say-"

Wooyoung cut him off, "Stay with me, I don't mind. You can keep going to school, and what better way is there for me to make sure that you stay safe?" And every part of his brain but one was screaming at him, telling him to rewind and think this through before his word vomit betrayed him. But there was one part, the one that just wanted to protect the boy who'd been nothing been ill-treated so far, that seemed to take over and numb every other part of his brain as he spoke, "My roommate won't be here for another three weeks, at least, so you can stay hidden until then."

San's jaw had dropped, eyes wide as he processed the information being relayed to him. He closed his mouth, swallowed, and opened it as if to say something, but then abruptly shut it again, as if he were fighting his own words.

Wooyoung stood, patting San's shoulder, "Let me give you a minute to consider it. I'll go make us some coffee, and then you can tell me what you think of the idea, okay?"

San somehow looked worried, perplexed, and grateful all at the same time, as he nodded mutely. His eyes followed Wooyoung's back as he left the room to go the kitchen, not saying a word.

Wooyoung, on the other hand, was using every ounce of his willpower not to just scream and punch something as he began making their instant coffee almost robotically.

Because _what the fuck had gotten into him?_

He'd always had a calculating nature, and he analysed his every move and thought every one of his words through before uttering them. He was the one who always stayed late to look into suspicious things just a little closer, a little harder, a little longer, so he could find what the others couldn't. It was that very quality that made him a good secret agent.

But this?

He'd never been so spontaneous, and not to mention, thoughtless, in his entire life. And all for...a boy he barely knew, and just felt sorry for.

And to top it all off, said boy was the son of an old- but still dangerous- enemy.

But what was done was done now, and Wooyoung began weighing the pros and cons of the offer, because now that he'd said the words, there was no going back.

Of course, there was the possibility of San declining, but he didn't consider that, as that wouldn't give him nearly as many cons as him staying would.

First, there was the issue that San knew barely anything about his profession, and if he wanted things to stay that way, living in the same fucking house would hardly be a good thing. Second, there was the possibility that they'd be caught easier, because they were, after all, in what was pretty much a flat inhabited only by spies, agents, and others who worked in the force. So San would have to be hidden, and hidden _well_. Third, he technically still didn't know squat about San, but was still somehow willing to house him, just because of a gut feeling that told him it would be fine.

And fourth, the most important one, there was also that annoying little flutter that his stomach kept doing everytime he saw San. What was that called again? Oh, right. Attraction.

Wooyoung wasn't stupid. He was twenty one years old, gay, and San was hot and available. His eye smile was adorable, and his body line was to die for. And he even knew that San found him at least a little alluring, considering that he'd already asked him out the previous week. And if that didn't scream potential non-platonic -development to Wooyoung, he didn't know what did.

Basically, in conclusion, Wooyoung had screwed himself over, and now had to face the brunt of it. He'd already sunk three feet into the quicksand, and now he was pretty much letting himself drown.

 _Great,_ he thought as he finished up the coffees and placed them on a tray to take inside, _fucking great_.

He went back to his bedroom to see San biting his nails again, clearly a nervous habit of his. Wooyoung placed the tray with the two mugs on the nightstand, and went to sit quietly next to San.

A second of awkward silence passed, and Wooyoung grabbed his mug and began sipping on the hot liquid, enjoying the bitter taste as it slid down his throat. The heat seared his tongue, but he paid no heed to it, instead savouring the burn.

"You know it's just coffee, it won't kill you," Wooyoung chided, when another minute of silence passed and San's untouched coffee began getting cold.

The latter simply gave him a grateful smile before taking the mug by the handle and bringing the edge to his lips, about to take a sip. Just before he did, he seemed to have a realisation, and placed it down again, before turning to face Wooyoung.

"How much inconvenience would I be causing you if I stayed here?"

Oh.

"Actually not much," Wooyoung shrugged, "I'm not here most of the days, and I don't sleep as much as you'd think, so you can have full control over the bed," he joked, but San didn't seem like he was in the mood to accept it.

San flexed his fingers that were poking out from the cast, "And what exactly was the stuff saved from my place?"

Wooyoung told him what he knew, and San took in the information, exhaling in relief when he heard about the plastic boxes. Apparently those were his school documents and identities and other important stuff.

"Okay then," San said, "I think I'll take you up on the offer then, if you don't mind."

Wooyoung smiled, "Wouldn't have asked if I did."

_What. The. Fuck._

Yeonjun was going to kill him.

*****

"2410, I have information from the ring guy."

Wooyoung nodded, "Go ahead." He crossed his legs, looking at the boy who was seated in front of him in the interrogation room.

Taehyun was still sporting the skull ring, having kept it on until any further instructions from Wooyoung. He twirled it around his finger as he spoke, "I have a paper he gave one of my friends yesterday. It's in my pocket," he said, taking the slip of paper out. It was only a few inches, and square shaped, "He was apparently wearing gloves, so a fingerprint test would probably be useless."

Wooyoung shook his head, "You don't know that. Give me the paper, let me see," The older took the paper from Taehyun's hand to read the chicken scrawl on it. Whoever wrote it had clearly scribbled it out in a hurry. But the words were legible enough.

_'Saturday next week. 11 pm, the back alley of the club 'Glamour'. Wear a mask and the ring. Bring your friends. If you inform or bring anyone else, you will not live through this. The exchange will be made there in cash.'_

Wooyoung nodded to himself, quickly memorising the words before he put the note into a plastic cover for evidence, that he retrieved from the drawer under the table, "You know the plan?" He clarified, and Taehyun nodded.

"We go there as planned, you hide with your partners 2411 and 2416. My friends don't know anything, obviously, so we'll just be normal until you decide to intervene. The first opportunity we get, we run as fast as we can and don't look back," Taehyun narrated like he'd by-hearted it.

"And the signal is?"

"Your phone ringing," Taehyun said confidently.

Wooyoung nodded, "Good. Now tell me everything else you know. Don't leave anything out, no matter how insignificant it might seem."

So Taehyun began to tell him about the previous day when his friend Beomgyu- one of the others who did street art with him- was cornered outside his school. Apparently, they didn't even know whether it was the same guy, as he'd been wearing a mask and a dark hoodie to hide his appearance. He'd just showed up out of nowhere, shoved the paper in the young boy's hands, rasped out a quick death threat if orders weren't followed, and left without a trace.

Taehyun also told him about how they had painted the skull symbol in almost every street in the area by now, not leaving out even small, run-down places. Wooyoung took in the information as his plan starengthed a little and he decided what instructions he would give Mingi and Yunho. He also decided to draft and submit his POA that day, so that they would be clear with everything a week later, on Saturday.

Once Taehyun had told Wooyoung everything he knew, the older thanked him for his cooperation before escorting him to the door and showing him out through a side entrance so he wouldn't be spotted easily.

Wooyoung made sure that Taehyun was safely out of the road before turning back to walk into the building, vaguely wondering how San was doing by himself.

He'd left the other man after bringing over the three boxes from Yeonjun and Soobin's place, telling Soobin that he would hand it over to the real owner, as he'd be the one responsible for talking to him and getting information. Of course, Wooyoung already knew that San was pretty useless when it came to useful intel.

San had decided to spend the day going through his stuff and mulling over what he'd lost and what he needed. Then Wooyoung would come home that night, and they'd decide how to deal with the whole 'San staying hidden' scenario. Wooyoung knew that the next day he had to go to college, despite his insistence that missing a day or two would hardly affect his grades.

Wooyoung hummed as he got to his office, sending a quick text to Yeosang and enquiring about his mother's health before beginning to draft his POA.

This was where he felt most confident.

He was in his element while he worked, comfortable in dealing with papers and data and information and numbers, more than he was with actual people. It wasn't too difficult to write the plan that he'd already thought of on paper, so it didn't take him long, though it was indeed hard to word it in such a way that it was thorough enough to cover all necessary details, and still vague enough to hide San's name and involvement.

He finished the first two pages in a little more than an hour, basic format complete, and he only had the 'notes' part remaining. He kept the pen down, stretching his arms above his head with a groan.

He took the photo that he'd taken from San's place out, keeping it on the table before texting Yeonjun and asking him to get rid of the footage. You could never be too careful.

He looked at the photo, squinting his eyes to see better, and sighed when he found that there was literally nothing suspicious, nothing out of place, completely normal cement wall behind them. Everything was just...normal, and somehow that irked Wooyoung to no end.

How was it possible that so may of the happenings seemed connected, but also at the same time so completely random?

First, there was the resemblance of Kim Kyunghun and Jeong Minhee, which was, to say the least, extremely creepy. Then, there was some guy who'd threatened innocent kids with the prospect of _death_ , if they didn't do his bidding. What was the whole deal with the skull anyway? Third, there was San's sudden involvement. The issue there, was that somehow, his apartment had been destroyed by someone who- clearly- despised SCAR. And if that was the case, there was no doubt that they knew exactly who San's father was.

Wooyoung decided that writing everything down and looking at the big picture would be the best idea at the moment, so he did so on his laptop which was in front of him. He made sure that the file was password protected, so that no one could read it, even an ally, because he'd be writing about _everything_ he knew, and that included San.

He quickly finished up his POA so he could work on making the 'big picture', and placed the completed document beside him, licking his dry lips as he adjusted his screen brightness and began to work.

Just as he was starting to type, he heard a sound behind him and turned to see Seonghwa, walking in with a small smile, "Hey, Wooyoung-ah. Working on your assignment?"

Wooyoung returned the smile and nodded, quickly switching tabs so that Seonghwa wouldn't see his screen, "Been doing this for a while, hyung. There's way too many unanswered questions, somehow. Something isn't right."

"Of course something isn't right," Seonghwa shrugged, "It's your job to find out what."

Wooyoung nodded again, "I found out some useful stuff from a reliable informant, hyung. Here's the POA. I'll need Mingi and Yunho with me for this on Saturday, or if they aren't available, any two of the guys should be fine," he handed over the completed file of papers.

Seonghwa looked through them, humming to himself, and nodding in understanding, "Have you interviewed the person who's apartment was set on fire?"

"Yes, hyung. He was just a normal college student. Nothing useful came out of it," he lied.

Seonghwa eyed him suspiciously, but didn't refute his claim, "Okay. I'll look over this and get back to you tomorrow. I'll let you know who's free then, and we can have a meeting about all that is known so far, and final decisions can be taken then."

Wooyoung admired Seonghwa's professionalism, and his quick decision-making skills. He wanted to be like that too, so confident and firm with every decision he took, any nervousness totally masked, "Yes hyung."

Seonghwa placed a hand on his shoulder, "Good. So I'll see you tomorrow?"

Wooyoung hummed, "I'll stay for a bit longer today, though. Got some stuff to take care of."

"Sure," Seonghwa smiled, walking out with a small wave.

Wooyoung turned back to his laptop, changing the screen back to the previous one so he could type out everything, numbering the events in chronological order with date, time and noting everything else he knew.

He smiled at his own finished work on the screen, and began packing his stuff before getting up to leave. He took his backpack and laptop- after logging out of the server- and slung it over his shoulder, pulling his mask over his face before leaving.

Yeosang had texted him back, saying that his mother was getting better, but it would be a while before she had enough energy to work, so he would take longer than he'd thought. Wooyoung had responded with a thumbs up and regards for his mother, sparing him the details of his current assignment. Yeosang already had enough to worry about without Wooyoung unloading this on him as well.

Once the younger reached his apartment, he entered the newly changed password, making a mental note to tell San what it was, before walking in.

San was seated in the living room, papers spread around him. "Hey, what are you doing?" Wooyoung asked, and San replied, saying that he was sorting through whatever was recovered from his place.

"Gosh, at least they got the important stuff. And bless my luck, my uni notes and books are in my locker, and weren't in my apartment, so most of my stuff got saved, actually. My clothes are mostly missing though, and my laptop and TV are obviously gone, but the box with my old hard drive is here," San explained.

Wooyoung nodded, "That's good," he paused, "Hey, um...my roommate isn't coming back for a while, so I think it would be okay for you to use his bed, I'll just change the covers and we can both sleep in the bedroom, is that okay with you?"

San grinned, "Anything is fine. I'm just so grateful that you're even helping me right now."

Wooyoung flipped imaginary hair over his shoulder, "I'm always this nice."

San burst into a shriek of laughter, "Is that a Haikyuu reference?"

Wooyoung grinned, "You bet it is. You clearly have good taste in anime, my friend."

San's smile faded, and Wooyoung immediately started to wonder if he'd done something wrong, when the former began speaking, "Are we friends?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "Aren't we? We're sort of roommates, and we know enough about each other to qualify as friends, don't you think?"

The smile San gave him- although Wooyoung would never admit it- made his heart jump in his chest, "Then we're friends," he declared almost proudly, and Wooyoung couldn't help but return it, crime and POAs the furthest thing from his mind.

"Friends it is."

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [P.S. who else is pumped for thanxx MV?!!!!🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭😁]
> 
> Ooo that's a lotta confusion huh? And what'd you guys think of the development? 
> 
> Leave Kudos and comments to let me know!! Subscribe to follow the story!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San leaned forward just a smidge. Wooyoung's stomach lurched at the proximity, and he could smell his own mouthwash on San's breath.
> 
> Then San closed the distance, and he was kissing him.
> 
> Wow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guys!! 
> 
> I'm back with chapter six!!! (And god, the thanxx mv did not disappoint, KQ is giving us everything we want🔥🔥🔥)
> 
> Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, it's pretty..... intersting 😜 (I'll let you read and find out what that means) 
> 
> Subscribe to follow the story! Leave kudos and comments and let me know what you think so far!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

San skipped his classes on Monday, but he did go from Tuesday onwards. In a way, it was a pretty good arrangement.

While Wooyoung was home, he could make sure no one came after San. While he was at college, no one would really try anything, because, obviously, it was a university. Who would want to get caught with weapons and death threats at a place like that? So, Wooyoung was reassured about San's safety for the most part. At least regarding the whole 'SCAR' issue.

This gave his brain more room to mull over the more pressing matters, like the plan for Saturday. They'd had a small meeting on Wednesday, and now it was Friday. Yunho and Mingi had been deemed free enough by Seonghwa to accompany Wooyoung on Saturday. He'd even met with Taehyun one more time, to discuss a few things.

In conclusion, Wooyoung was pretty sure that this would be a success, and he could almost imagine the proud smile on Hongjoong's face as he praised him for his first assignment as the leader going so well.

He hummed under his breath as he closed his laptop screen, getting up to get himself something to eat. San was still in school, and he usually ate his lunch and picked up a little snack there before coming back, so the only meal Wooyoung put some effort into was dinner.

He grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and cut it into small pieces before scooping it into a bowl and taking it to the living room.

Wooyoung absently scrolled through social media while he ate, replying to his mom, who was extremely excited that he'd been appointed as the leader.

Just as he finished his apple and kept the bowl down, there was a click at the door, and he turned to see San walk in, shucking his backpack on the couch next to Wooyoung and slumping down beside him as well, "I hate homework."

Wooyoung giggled, "Hello to you too."

San offered him a smile, "Yeah, hi. I still hate homework."

Wooyoung shrugged, "You gotta do what you gotta do. I mean, aren't you the one who decided to major in computer engineering?"

San glared at him, "Yes, but that doesn't automatically allow the teacher to give me four whole programs to code by tomorrow. _Tomorrow!_ "

Wooyoung let out a burst of laughter, "Okay. Let me check on your wrist, and then you can go do your coding. 'right?"

San nodded, "Sure. I've been feeling a little better though, thanks to those meds you gave me, and my stitches are out too, so yeah. Plus, no one's gotten in my way over the past few days, so that's great too."

Wooyoung grinned, showing off his pearly whites, "If they did, I wouldn't let them go. You've been hurt enough already," he scooted closer to San, taking his wrist to check on the cast, "Besides, no one would hurt someone who's already injured, and your cast speaks enough."

San groaned, allowing Wooyoung to fuss over him, "You'd be surprised how that works. People tend to pick on the weak, and who better than an injured man?"

"You're not weak."

San smiled at that, "I admire your faith in me, but I beg to disagree."

Wooyoung frowned, "You-" he patted San's wrist, once he'd decided it was okay, "-need to believe in yourself more. You're an amazing person, and not enough people have told you this."

San met his eyes, something unreadable shining in them, "...thank you."

Wooyoung unconsciously leaned forward a bit, and it was only when he could feel San's breath on his face that he caught himself. But he still didn't move. San didn't waver in his gaze either, eyes flicking down for a tiny second and back up to meet Wooyoung's. The latter swallowed thickly, wondering what was happening.

_Was San about to kiss him?_

That, he....wouldn't mind, actually, but he knew that nothing good could come of it. He thought San was cute, yes, and if he allowed himself to feel something, maybe he'd even have the tiniest crush on him. But he was firmly suppressing any and all non-platonic emotions at the moment, and he had several reasons to back it up. So no, it wouldn't be a good idea to kiss him.

But he didn't budge. He didn't lean forward more to slot their lips together like he wanted to, but he didn't pull away either, letting San have the upper hand.

And then San leaned forward just a smidge. Wooyoung's stomach lurched at the proximity, and he could smell his own mouthwash on San's breath.

Then San closed the distance, and he was kissing him.

Wow.

Wooyoung's eyes fluttered shut naturally, sighing against San's mouth as they kissed innocently. Wooyoung's hand found its way to San's nape, and he held on as their mouths remained connected for a few moments, before San was pulling away to look at him.

Wooyoung swallowed, and unconsciously licked his own lips as he took in San's appearance, "Um..." The former began, "what was-"

"Sorry-" San interrupted, "I- I didn't mean to do that, just...forget it happened, okay?" He shook his head, looking away from Wooyoung as he leaned back like he'd been stung, the other's hand falling from his nape as he did so.

Wooyoung frowned but didn't push it, nodding subtly, "Okay..." He sighed softly, taking San's blatant refusal to look at him, as a dismissal of sorts, "I think it's best if- if I leave you alone now. The bathroom is free if you want to shower," he said simply, standing up from where he was seated and taking his empty bowl with him to put away before he went to the bedroom.

Even as Wooyoung sat down on the bed, he could still feel the tingle of San's surprisingly soft lips on his, he could feel his soft skin against his palm, and the smell of his own soap on San's body.

Wooyoung suppressed the urge to scream as he ran a tentative thumb across his lips and turned over, flopping down with his face mushed onto the pillow.

That didn't mean he didn't let out his frustrations through a very loud scream on the inside.

He just hadn't decided what emotion the scream conveyed yet.

And honestly, he didn't particularly want to know.

*****

Saturday.

All thoughts of San and their kiss the previous night out of his mind (or maybe not), Wooyoung threw himself into his work.

That night, they were expecting the ring guy, whoever he was, to meet with Taehyun and his friends, and Wooyoung, Mingi and Yunho would be there to intercept the exchange and hopefully capture him alive. They'd even tipped off the local police in case of any...trouble.

Seonghwa had been informed about everything, of course, and he'd accepted Wooyoung's terms easily, perhaps _too_ easily, but the younger wasn't about to poke around where he didn't need to, so he simply took it in stride. They'd had a meeting which went pretty well, and they'd made thorough plans, with Yeonjun agreeing to be their comms link, and Soobin had been put on Yeonjun's duty for the night.

Wooyoung had left for work earlier than usual that day, even before San awoke, and he was thankful for that because he didn't want to think about what might have come up, if he and San had to speak to one another.

He still wasn't exactly sure what page he was on with the whole San situation. Even looking at him brought back the image of them kissing on the couch, by now surely burned into the backs of his eyelids. It was quite frustrating, to say the least, and it was even worse not knowing what exactly he felt for San.

But that wasn't important now. Not with so much at stake, he couldn't afford to be distracted by something as trivial as feelings. His job was the most important thing in his life, and he had absolutely no room for any feelings that weren't platonic towards San.

Wooyoung bit his own lip, pulling off the top layer of skin and savouring the sting as he did so.

He yawned and placed a hand over his mouth, suppressing it as best as he could. He sensed the presence of someone else in the room and turned to see Mingi, who'd walked in at some point.

"Oh, hey Mingi-yah."

"Hey, Yunho and I wanted to know a few things, so I got sent to ask you," Mingi explained.

"Shoot," Wooyoung patted Yeosang's empty chair in front of him and Mingi willingly took the offer, sitting down in front of him and leisurely crossing his legs.

"So..."

Wooyoung smiled, nodding along and answering Mingi's querries, thoughts of a bright-eyed boy with a constellation on his cheek pushed to the back of his mind.

He could worry about that later.

*****

"2411 to 2410, I'm in position."

"Copy. Stay ready. 2416?"

"Yeah, me too."

"Good. It's twenty minutes to eleven, so all of you keep yourselves alert." Wooyoung hissed through his in-ear device, "No sign of anyone yet, but stay awake."

"Got it," Yunho was the one who replied, andMingi chose to remain silent, but Wooyoung knew he'd have gotten the message.

The three of them were at the back of 'Glamour', a pretty shady club that rich people went to in order to but unexplainably expensive alcohol, get mindlessly sloshed and finally get driven off by chauffeurs and butlers. Yunho was positioned inside the club, and they informed that one bouncer at the door that they were detectives (because obviously telling the truth wasn't a good idea) and we're on a case.

Mingi was at the end of the alley, while Wooyoung was somewhere in the middle, both hidden behind particularly large dumpsters, heavily regretting the decision because of the foul smell. But oh well, they had to do it, and it wasn't like they hadn't been in worse situations before, so a stench was hardly anything to get fazed by.

Ten minutes of silence passed, and then the first sign of voices was heard close to Mingi, who quickly reported it to Wooyoung and Yunho. It was, however, quickly disregarded when Yunho informed them that it was merely a patron of the club, some rich person who was way too loud and obnoxious to be anyone of interest. Plus, the guy had already loudly announced his name to the world as he walked along the alley, shouting at himself in third person in his drunken haze.

Another two minutes went by without activity, and Wooyoung was beginning to get the slightest bit impatient, when he heard a sound in his ear, Mingi's low voice ringing through the device, "There are two people coming your way, 2410. Both in dark clothes and hoodies. Unable to ID at first glance."

Wooyoung nodded even though Mingi couldn't see him, "Noted."

Then there was silence. Wooyoung didn't make any further movements, and neither did Mingi, and their communication reached a standstill as they waited with bated breath for something to happen.

Soon enough, Wooyoung spotted the two figures, one very tall, possibly even taller than Yunho, and another, shorter figure, most likely a woman, from the vague shape he could see. The woman was quite tall for her stature, but was towered over by the man next to her. They weren't speaking or making any sounds, simply walking along in silence.

Wooyoung almost dismissed them completely when they didn't do anything suspicious, but then he stopped himself when his sharp eyes caught the glint of metal on both their hands, which were sporting skull shaped rings.

Bingo.

Wooyoung knew that they wouldn't be communicating for now, not with those two people in such close proximity. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see anything that would give him ideas about who the two people were. He didn't see anything at all.

The two people stopped in their tracks just a few paces shy of Wooyoung's hiding spot, leaning against the opposite wall leisurely. The woman crossed her arms, causing her hood to rise and reveal the bottom part of her face. Wooyoung didn't waste time in capturing a photo with the microscopic camera in his tracking bracelet, angling it just high enough so he wouldn't be spotted, and the woman would still be visible.

He looked down quickly at his watch.

10.58 pm.

He remained absolutely still, taking in every movement of the two people, while he waited for Taehyun to show.

It was 11.03 pm when Taehyun and two other boys showed up, all of them looking roughly the same age. Yunho spoke in quiet murmurs in his ear, "They're here. I'll call your phone, and when it rings, that'll be the signal for us to move and they will leave."

Mingi responded with a low grunt, but Wooyoung didn't dare, not when he was so close to their targets.

They'd planned to stay hidden as long as they could, so that they could find out as much information as possible while their targets had their guard down, before interfering in the scene.

He registered Yunho informing him that he was going to be moving around to the other side of the alley he and Mingi were in, as he was no longer needed to keep watch in the club. He didn't respond, but he did hear a few rustling sounds before Yunho shut off his communication device, probably so that he could move around in silence.

Wooyoung's gaze followed the backs of the three boys, who quickly scurried over to the man and woman, standing meekly in front of them.

The two people didn't reveal their faces or appearances, but just in case, he'd told Yunho to make sure to record everything from a safe distance, except if he had to intervene, of course. He heard a low, gravelly voice, that of the man, as he spoke.

"Show us the ring."

The three boys obediently held up their hands, metal shining on them as the man peered at them to check, "Okay," he said, "My partner here has the cash. How do we know that you'll keep quiet if we just give it to you?"

"Uh..." One of the boys mumbled, "You already threatened to kill us, what more do you want?"

The woman chuckled, her unexpectedly rich and seductive tone echoing through the scene, "Oh, kids are so ignorant," she placed a hand on Taehyun's shoulder, smirking under her hood, "You see, child, this doesn't end here. We're paying you not only for you brats to do the work, but also for your silence."

Taehyun shrugged her palm off his shoulder, "We're not going to tell anyone, just give us the money and we'll go."

She tutted as if she were chiding a small baby, "Aw, but that's no fun now, is it?"

Wooyoung noticed the guy reach into his hoodie, and was just beginning to register what was going on when his phone rang loudly, default iPhone ringtone cutting through the silence.

"What's that?!" The man hissed, hand moving to reach out and grab one of the boys by the collar, "Is that your phone?"

The boy shook his head quickly, terrified whimper loud in the dark alley, thumping of the bass from the club behind them creating an eerie background noise. He was dropped unceremoniously, and collapsed onto the ground in a heap, and then Wooyoung watched, holding his breath in anticipation, as his plan began to unfurl in front of his eyes.

Taehyun grabbed the boy on the ground, heaving him up, the other boy locked arms with him, and the three of them turned abruptly and ran, away from the scene and out into the main street, as they'd been told to.

Wooyoung smirked, and even as the man and woman began to give chase, he and Mingi were there to stop them.

Wooyoung burst out from his hiding spot, and grabbed the man by the wrist, twisting and getting him to turn around to face him. His sound of pain and shock echoed through the area, and by the time the woman had managed to reach him, Mingi was already behind her, one large hand over her mouth and another holding both of her wrists behind her.

Yunho appeared from the shadows, holding up a camera clearly, "We have everything on tape. You both will quietly come with us now if you don't want this to go public."

Wooyoung reached out for the man's other wrist, holding them together as he pushed him against the wall, with his forearm pressing into the taller man's collarbones, a pretty big feat for someone as short as him.

The movement caused his hood to slip back, and revealed his face.

_What the fuck._

"Oh my _god,_ you're-" Wooyoung's jaw dropped when he saw the face of the man he'd never seen before, but it seemed like he'd seen him a thousand times anyway.

The man smirked even as he struggled to breathe under Wooyoung's strong grip, unkempt hair falling into his eyes, "Oh, you know me?"

" _Jeong Minhee_ ," Wooyoung breathed in disbelief, and Mingi and Yunho were looking equally as shocked as he felt, mirroring his open mouth and wide eyes.

"But you're, its...what-" Mingi stuttered, and was quickly jerked out of his state of shock when the woman he was holding struggled in his hold, almost escaping. He hastily tightened his grip, making sure not to let her go.

"I'm dead?" He said, almost like the thought amused him, "Oh, but I'm here, aren't I?"

Wooyoung pushed him further into the wall, "Shut up. We'll have this conversation at Headquarters."

The man chuckled, "That's cute, but I don't think so," he jerked a knee up, meaning to catch Wooyoung in the crotch, but the younger anticipated the movement, moving back at once and pulling a gun out of the holster at his belt.

"You play dirty, Minhee-ssi," he said, cocking his head to the side as the pistol was pointed at the other's head, "but it's nothing we can't handle. Hands up!"

Minhee simply laughed, "Kyungran-ah," he said, and the woman tilted her head upwards, revealing her face. She would have been pretty if not for the red streak across her face, from her left temple all the way down to her cheek, a thin but ling and obvious scar.

She couldn't speak due to Mingi's hand on her mouth, but she managed to nod anyway, and Wooyoung registered that her name must be Kyungran.

He noticed Yunho from the corner of his eye, as he put the camera inside the bag at his shoulder and came closer, drawing his own gun out, "Hands up, Jeong Minhee!" He echoed Wooyoung.

Surprisingly, he followed the order, turning around and placing his hands on the back of his head, one in top of the other, "Go ahead, take me in. It might just end up being the last thing you do," he laughed, a eerie sound in the dark atmosphere of the place, but it didn't deter Wooyoung as he moved forward, kneeing the man in his back and bringing him to his knees.

"Shut up."

Yunho rummaged around in his bag and brought out two pairs of handcuffs, one for each of them, and came closer, handing one to Wooyoung. The latter dropped the gun in his hand in favour of moving forward and bringing Minhee's wrists down to the proper position before clicking the cuffs into place, making sure they were well and truly locked before moving back.

By then, Mingi had the woman in handcuffs as well, and Yunho was whispering under his breath, hand pressed to his ear, probably in communication with Yeonjun.

Wooyoung heaved Minhee up to his feet, and hauled him over to the other side.

"2411, you can handle her? I shall take this one to the vehicle."

Mingi nodded, "Okay."

Then Wooyoung took the lead, pushing Minhee in front with a gun pointed at his nape, and Mingi and the woman- newly revealed to be called Kyungran, followed- with Yunho bringing up the rear.

They got into their van- parked a little deeper in the alley- and Yunho climbed into the front, starting the vehicle and beginning to drive.

Wooyoung was just about to turn to Minhee and begin to question him, when his phone rung loudly, causing him to jerk to attention.

It couldn't be Taehyun, he'd never allowed his number to be traced by him. He grabbed it and saw that it was San.

He frowned, wondering what the problem was, and why San would even want to talk to him of all people, especially after what had happened the previous night.

He pressed answer, "Hello?"

San sounded hurried, his breath rushed and heavy, audible even across the line, "Wooyoung- Wooyoung there's....I don't know, someone- someone tried to break in here and I'm so scared, what's going on, what is this-" he stuttered, and Wooyoung's eyes widened.

He spared their captives a look, "What, um- slow down. Are you okay?" He asked, making sure not to mention his name.

"Yeah- yeah I'm fine, whoever it was didn't manage to get the password right, but- but they did know your old password, Wooyoung-ah. Whoever it was knew it, and that's what showed up on the monitor when they tried to get in."

Wooyoung bit his lip nervously, "Okay, okay- just....stay put, okay? Don't go anywhere. Go to the bedroom and stay there until I get back. Have a nap if you want," he instructed, ensuring that his volume was low and that Mingi and Yunho at least, couldn't pick up his words.

San gave him a short affirmation and ended the call, obviously understanding that Wooyoung wasn't really in a position to talk to him properly.

Thankful that San was okay, Wooyoung turned back to the matter at hand. It was so hard not to tell anyone, just scream that he wanted to go home and check on San but he knew he had more important things to take care of first (well, maybe not more important, but definitely more urgent).

They got back to HQ just after midnight, and the night guard opened up for them as they took the man and the woman to the second floor where the people who dealt with captured convicts were.

Wooyoung, Mingi and Yunho dropped them off with the agents there, giving them clear instructions not to let them out of sight till their shift was over the next morning, and the other batch took over.

Yunho and Mingi sighed, sharing relieved smiles as they looked at Wooyoung for further instructions.

"Good job, guys. We did well today. I'll write up a report tomorrow, and Yunho, would you be a darling and report to Seonghwa and Yeonjun now for me? Tell them I have....something to take care of, so I sent you," it was as close to the truth as he could get, and Wooyoung needed to go, fast. If lying to his best friends and superiors was what it took, then so be it.

Yunho, the absolute angel he was, agreed without protest, simply saying that Wooyoung was probably tired anyway and that he should go, so Mingi and he could wrap up everything they needed to.

Wooyoung promised to make it up to him, and thanked them one last time before he left, running towards their flat.

As he got into the elevator, he tried looking around him for anything out if place, but found everything to be completely normal. He cracked his knuckles absently as he waited for the elevator to reach hai florr, and ince he was there, hurriedly fished out his phone to call San.

"Hey, I'm here," Wooyoung said, "I'll let myself in, I just called so I wouldn't scare you," he explained, and San's small "thanks" was completely worth the trouble he'd taken, as he entered his password into the system at the door.

A familiar 'ding' was followed by a click, and he pushed the door open, going inside and locking it before walking straight to the bedroom where he knew San would be.

Sure enough, he entered the room to see a bundle of sheets on Yeosang's bed, San nestled comfortably in the middle, and Wooyoung had to stop himself from cooing out loud at the adorable sight.

"Hey, what happened?" Wooyoung asked, shedding his jacket off and sitting down on the edge of Yeosang's bed.

San shook his head, wiggling his fingers through the cast resting atop the sheets, "I have no idea," he said, "I was just making ramyeon for myself, and the door pinged. I thought it'd be you, but then I saw the message 'your password was changed one week ago' on the screen," he made air quotes with his good hand, "and that freaked me out. Then the door pinged again, and I ran in here. Whoever it was stopped trying after the first few times, but they- they knew like four of your old passwords, considering the messages I saw."

Wooyoung allowed himself to make a bold move, moving his hand forward to place his palm over San's uninjured hand, "Hey, hey, it's okay," he reassured, "the point is, that whoever it was, didn't manage to get in, right? I can check the cctv footage now, and we'll see who it was, okay?"

San nodded, giving him a small smile that caused a tiny crease to appear in his cheek, the absolute innocence of his face compelling Wooyoung's heart to skip a beat in his chest.

Wooyoung shook away the butterflies and took his phone out from his pocket, going to the app that was connected to the camera outside to check the footage from that day. No one but their inner circle, which meant Seonghwa, Hongjoong, Yunho, Mingi, Yeosang and himself, had access to the camera outside his house.

But... "San, there's nothing," he said, face painted with confusion, "Like....there's no footage after this afternoon. Whoever it was, has erased everything."

San looked at him, eyes wide, "What- what does that mean?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "I'm not sure, but I suggest you don't go out for a few days, at least till Tuesday so I can change the camera and whoever has access to it. Just...don't get too worked up, okay? It could honestly be nothing big. Trust me, one time my roommate tried our password on the next apartment, thinking that it was ours, and he kept doing it without realising that he was at the wrong place. It could just be something like that, so don't worry your pretty little head over this now, got it?"

San bit his lip, running his hand through his hair, "Okay, if you say so."

"Good," Wooyoung said, about to turn off the app, when his phone rang, and Hongjoong's caller ID flashed in the screen. Weird, Hongjoong rarely called his personal phone unless it was an emergency.

He picked it up, "Hello, hyung?"

"Wooyoung-ah," Hongjoong's voice sounded horrible, broken and on the verge of tears, "Wooyoung-ah, have you seen Seonghwa today? Anytime today?" He was almost begging him.

Wooyoung swallowed, "No, hyung. I haven't seen him, sorry. What's wrong?"

"He's- he's been gone from the afternoon, I don't know where he is, all he said was that he was going out, and then he left. He said he'd be back late, but Mingi and Yunho already came to report and he isn't _here_ , Wooyoung," Hongjoong sounded more desperate than Wooyoung had ever heard him.

"Oh- oh my gosh, hyung. Are you sure no one's seen him?"

"Positive."

"He did say he'd back late, right? Why don't we give it a day? It's not like he hasn't done this before, right hyung?" Wooyoung asked.

It was true. Seonghwa had done it before. He'd apparently had a really bad day, and ended up disappearing for two whole days after that without a trace, and the only thing he'd said when he showed up again was, "I'm sorry." Of course, that day, he'd been nagged by Hongjoong throughout the day, both in angry and sad tones.

Hongjoong breathed heavily, "Yeah- yeah you're right. I'll just go to sleep, and Seonghwa will be with me in the morning," he said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself, "I'm sorry I called you this late, Wooyoung, I just got so worried. He hasn't exactly been himself lately, and it's bothering me."

"It's no problem, hyung. We're brothers aren't we?" Wooyoung smiled, hoping to god that he was right, that Seonghwa would show up the next day like he'd never been gone at all.

He turned to San once he'd hung up, and the other stared back at him wordlessly.

"San..."

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you for a favour? You can say no if you want."

"Sure."

"Let me suck you off."

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I'm a terrible person for ending like that huh? 
> 
> Well mwahahaha readers, enjoy the suspense for another few days 😂 
> 
> Leave comments below to let me know what you guys thought of this...unexpected development 😜 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The 'a' is long gone. It is replaced by 'eo'," Minhee recited, as if it were something he'd spent hours memorizing, "'a' is gone. It is replaced by 'eo'." 
> 
> 'a' is gone. It is replaced by 'eo'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy guys!! 
> 
> I'm back with chapter seven!! 
> 
> Thank you so much for the all the postive responses and comments I've received so far, honestly you guys are the best 🤭🤭 
> 
> The first part of this chapter is a little...*ahem*, so those of you who wanna skip are welcome to do so, the smexy stuff ends with the "*****"
> 
> So...congrats to ATEEZ, because they deserve it and I love em!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 
> 
> On that note....here you go!!😁
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

"Let me suck you off."

"Wha- _what?!"_ San sputtered, a shocked expression blooming on his face.

"Look," Wooyoung began, placing his phone beside him, "I- no- we've, had a really long day, and you can't tell me there's no tension here," he gestured between them.

San sat up slowly, "Wooyoung, us having... _chemistry_ doesn't mean that we can just-"

"It's....not like that, it's just that we've both had crazy things happen today, and I can't tell you what happened with me because it's confidential, but it really, really made me want to forget the world for a while, you know? And- and we've already established that we could date if it weren't for my job, so why don't we forget about my job for one night and let go of our restrictions? You can say no, San, I'm not forcing you to do anything-"

"Okay."

Wooyoung nodded, "Fine, I understand- wait, did you say okay?"

San tilted his head and shrugged, "Yeah."

"Wh- why?"

San simply smiled, "Why not?"

And then he was getting up from the bed, walking towards Wooyoung and pulling him in with his good hand, until they were just centimetres apart.

"Can I....um...." Wooyoung mumbled, and San rolled his eyes at him, clearly exasperated.

"Just kiss me already."

Wooyoung nodded, and leaned forward then, his hand naturally gravitating to San's waist as he pulled him in for a kiss.

Kissing him was just as good as the first time.

Wooyoung could taste sweetness on San's lips, almost like chocolate, and wondered if he'd been eating some before he'd come home. He wasn't complaining, though, not when San's lips felt so good on his and he tasted like chocolate and smelt like Wooyoung's soap and was so, so pliant under his touch.

Wooyoung felt San kiss him with vigour and gentleness at the same time, and he couldn't help it when he poked his tongue out to deepen the kiss, running the muscle across San's lower lip to make his intentions known.

San willingly opened up his mouth, allowing Wooyoung to slip his tongue inside and take control of the kiss, the former's hand finding its way to Wooyoung's back.

San's injured wrist was sandwiched between them almost uncomfortably, but Wooyoung didn't have it in him to really be bothered, not when San let out a small sigh into his mouth, like he'd done something particularly amazing. Wooyoung smiled into the kiss, and when it began getting hard to breathe, had no alternative but to pull away, breaths coming out in heavy pants due to lack of air.

San grinned, "Wow, if you kiss so good, I can't wait for you to blow me."

Wooyoung let out a small giggle, one hand moving to brush a lock of black hair off of San's forehead, "Cute."

San answered him with a satisfied grin, lips swollen and red because of _him_ , and Wooyoung couldn't help but smile back, slowly walking them back towards his bed- his own, not Yeosang's, because he was not going to have sex on his roommate's bed with someone whom said roommate didn't even know.

San sat down on the bed with a small thump, and Wooyoung leaned forward to kiss him again as his hands moved to unbutton his own shirt, bulletproof vest thankfully already discarded (he didn't want to have to be struggling with his vest at that moment). He slipped his shirt off his shoulders, and pulled away from San's lips, straying downwards to place little kisses on San's jaw.

"You can leave marks, I- I don't mind," San said, his hand cradling the back of Wooyoung's head, and Wooyoung smirked against his exposed throat before kissing across his smooth skin, eliciting a soft gasp out of him when he pressed his lips to a spot under his ear, where his neck met his shoulder.

His loose t shirt allowed Wooyoung to pull the material to the side and expose more of his smooth neck, dotted with freckles that were like little stars across the expanse of his skin. Wooyoung leaned down, kissing over San's neck and shoulder before biting down on the skin, sucking gently to leave a mark.

San seemed to like it, and let out a small sound akin to one of pleasure, and Wooyoung felt his pants tighten just the slightest bit. The latter moved his hands to the hem of San's shirt, "Can I take this off?"

San winced, not meeing his gaze, "I'd rather have it on."

"Okay," Wooyoung shrugged, "Whatever's fine. I'm just gonna suck you off, so."

Wooyoung knew that under different circumstances, he would've probably tried to convince San that he had nothing to be conscious about. But at the moment, they weren't doing this with any motive other than just distracting themselves and maybe physical attraction, so it wasn't the time to be sweet and caring. Not when he was afraid that acting as such would make the feeling in his chest harder to control.

So he just bent down to kiss San's neck again, leaving a few more marks before sinking down to his knees on the carpet in front of him, "You good?"

"Yeah," San breathed, "keep going."

Wooyoung nodded, first unbuckling and removing his own belt, and unzipping his pants to reduce the strain on his member before looking to San's bulge under his worn sweatpants. He allowed his hand to run gently over the material, and San let out a gasp when Wooyoung's palm grazed his clothed bulge.

"Eager, are we?"

San rolled his eyes, "Shut up," he huffed.

Wooyoung chuckled and moved both his hands to grip San's hips, sliding under the material of his grey t shirt and caressing his sides, drawing aimless patterns with his fingers.

San brought a hand to Wooyoung's hair, guiding him closer, and the latter finally relented, allowing himself to be tugged forward towards San's straining length hidden in his pants. Wooyoung tightened his grip on San's hips, leaning forward to mouth across the bulge through the material.

San seemed to enjoy it, if the loud gasp and the hand tightening in his hair were any indication. Wooyoung smiled in triumph and allowed himself to get bolder, grazing his teeth across the material, earning a moan from San.

Wooyoung pulled back for a second to look at San, "Any dos and don'ts before we do this?"

San shrugged, "Don't bite and we're fine."

Wooyoung giggled, "I won't bite you, don't worry," and then his hands were moving to San's hips, dragging his sweatpants down and pulling them off his surprisingly muscular legs, revealing his simple black breifs.

The movement had caused San's shirt to ride up a little, revealing his v line, and Wooyoung noticed the birthmark he'd seen the other day, a small one that extended from the v of his hip to the edge of his underwear. It made him seem more real, somehow, and Wooyoung found it unreasonably hot.

Wooyoung leaned forward to mouth over the patch of skin right above San's waistband, allowing himself to leave a hickey there as well. San moaned loudly as he did so, and Wooyoung took it as a small, but well-earned victory.

"Can I take these off?" Wooyoung asked.

San nodded eagerly, dark, hooded eyes meeting Wooyoung's own, "Please."

And before the logical part of Wooyoung's brain could talk him out of it, Wooyoung wrapped his fingers around the edges of San's underwear and tugged, pulling them off and over his legs.

The agent couldn't help but swallow thickly at the sight of San's length, standing proud, and larger than he'd expected. San let out a whine when Wooyoung stayed still for a few seconds, just licking his lips and drawing absent minded patterns on his hips, " _Wooyoung_."

Wooyoung was snapped out of his lust-filled stupor, and finally lifted his hand to wrap it around San's taut length, and the latter moaned at the feeling, throwing his head back.

San's hand stayed put in his hair as Wooyoung jerked his length a few times, bringing it to full hardness, before finally mustering the courage to lean forward and kiss the tip, the wet sound of saliva lewd in the quiet of the room.

He kept his hand on the base of San's length, while he began to lap at the head, San's moans and pants accentuating the sounds of his mouth on his dick. Wooyoung bent and licked a long stripe from base to tip, his hand continuing to pump San's dick slowly, much slower than he would've liked.

"Wooyoung," San whined, "faster."

The other didn't listen, instead removing his hand from his twitching cock completely. San was just about to moan out a protest, when Wooyoung finally took San's head into his mouth and began to suck gently.

"Fuck-" San's hand gripped his stands tightly, "-you're good at this."

Wooyoung felt his blood rush at the praise, taking San in further, this time about halfway, and began bobbing his head, the hand in his hair guiding him along.

Wooyoung felt the strain in his underwear become too much to handle, and pulled away for a second to strip himself completely, placing his pants on the carpet before kneeling on top of them, to avoid carpet burn. His hand instinctively went to his own hard length as he took San into his mouth again, jerking himself off.

Wooyoung moaned around San's length, the vibrations causing the latter to let out a pathetically wanton sound, unconsciously bucking his hips up into the wet heat.

"Shit, Wooyoung-" San breathed, chest heaving, "-I'm close, don't stop."

Wooyoung tasted San's precome in his mouth, ignoring the taste and bobbing his head faster, his hand moving on his own length to bring himself to the edge as well.

Wooyoung stopped moving on his own and allowed San to guide him by his hair, pulling him forward and backward. He tested his own prowess by pushing forward all the way down, until his nose touched skin, and he felt San's length touch the back of his throat.

"Ah, _Woo_ -" he groaned out, allowing Wooyoung to give himself a breather before dragging him back again.

Wooyoung swallowed around San's length and twisted his wrist just the right way on his own, until he was so, so close. San guided him off, and Wooyoung whined loud in protest, "Why'd you make me pull off?"

San panted, "I'm close."

Wooyoung shurgged, surging forward again, "Come in my mouth, I don't care," and then he was wrapping his lips around San again, stretching them wide in order to suck.

" _Fuck_ , Wooyoung you're driving me crazy," San groaned, allowing Wooyoung to suckle on his length until he was throwing his head back with a loud moan, letting himself go in Wooyoung's mouth, the younger swallowing his cum without protest, throat flexing around the viscous substance.

Wooyoung pulled off once San was done, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he licked his swollen lips and swallowed. His hand moved on his own length once, twice, and then he was cumming as well, a breathy moan escaping his parted lips as he released onto his own fist.

Wooyoung panted as he came down from his high, licking his swollen lips. His throat hurt and felt a little sore, but his body felt relaxed and sated, blissfully sweaty and tired.

He looked up at San, who's sweat-slicked hair was sticking to his forehead as he looked down at him, breathing heavily.

"Thanks for that, it was great," San said, his hand placed on the bed beside him.

The other grinned, "Likewise," he looked down and grimaced at the sight of his hand covered in his own come.

"You can shower first, if you want," San offered, and Wooyoung smiled gratefully as he stood up on shaky legs, walking to the bathroom to wash his hands and take a shower.

Wooyoung didn't take too long in the shower, and San went after him, taking less than five minutes to wash up and join Wooyoung in the bedroom, fully clothed now. He crawled into Yeosang's bed, pulled the covers over himself, and fell asleep immediately, not sparing Wooyoung even a single glance.

The younger snuggled into his covers, eyes staring straight up at the white ceiling, every part of his body wholly aware of San's sleeping form in the adjacent bed, his even breaths almost audible in the quiet of the night.

Wooyoung recalled the way they'd been just a little while ago, so deep in their lust-driven haze as they used each other for physical pleasure. Nothing, more, nothing less.

_What the hell did we just do?_

Wooyoung mulled over the question, unable to think of an appropriate answer for a long while, and ended up falling asleep amidst his never-ending, puzzling thoughts, dreams blank and dreary.

*****

The next morning, Wooyoung left even before San was awake.

Somehow, he felt like shit for doing so, for leaving him there without any explanation whatsoever regarding his actions of the previous night. It wasn't like San was a one-night-stand, so leaving him there was technically not a bad thing, but it still didn't suppress the uncomfortable pull in his gut when he dressed for work the next day, leaving the apartment without so much as a glance toward the sleeping boy.

The hollow feeling in his stomach remained, even as he entered his workplace and took the elevator up, to where he knew Hongjoong would be.

He wanted to pop in, just to find out what had happened the previous night, and if Seonghwa was still not back yet.

He knocked before entering, walking in to see a thoroughly distraught Hongjoong, head pillowed in his palms, which he raised slightly at Wooyoung's appearance, eyes red and puffy for obvious reasons, "Hey Wooyoung," he croaked.

"Seonghwa-hyung isn't back yet?"

Hongjoong shook his head, groaning out loud, "Why did he just leave like that? What the hell is going on, Wooyoung? This is not like him."

The last time Seonghwa had pulled something like this, he and Hongjoong hadn't been going out. But somehow they'd ended up dating a day later. Everyone had just assumed that Seonghwa had had some great realisation during his time away, and it had resulted in him and Hongjoong getting together.

"I'm sorry, hyung. Maybe he just needed some space?"

Hongjoong shook his head, "If he did, he would've told me, I don't-" he inhaled deeply, "I don't know what's going on."

Wooyoung gave him a sympathetic look, "Hyung, I just have this thing I need to take care of, I assume Yunho and Mingi told you what took place last night?"

Hongjoong nodded, "God, I'm sorry. Just go, you have important things to do, and listening to me nope about my boyfriend, who may or may not just be doing something stupid, is not what you need right now."

Wooyoung shook his head, "It's not like that, hyung. I promise I'll help you try and reach Seonghwa-hyung after I talk to those two people we captured yesterday. Especially Jeong Minhee. His arrest is going to get us a pretty fat bonus, at least count on that."

Hongjoong managed a weak smile, "Thanks, Wooyoung-ah. I appreciate that."

Wooyoung gave his hyung a warm smile and left the room, trying as much as he could to put Seonghwa's well-being out of his mind for the moment and focus on the task at hand, which was getting Jeong Minhee and Kyungran- whoever she was- to talk.

He went to the rooms where the two were being kept, announcing his agent number to the guys at the end of the hallway so they'd let him in.

He entered the hallway, pressing his thumb to the fingerprint sensor near the first door on the left, which slid open when he did so, letting him into the room where the woman was.

She was seated on a plastic chair, cuffed hands, ring still on, placed on the simple wooden table in front of her. She stared ahead of her at the one-way glass, seeing her own reflection.

Wooyoung walked in front her to the other side of the table, standing there without saying anything for a few seconds.

"What do you want from me?" She asked finally, probably sick of the uncomfortable silence.

Wooyoung internally whooped at the small success. Getting her to talk first had been his aim, "What is your name?"

"Kim Kyungran," she mumbled, "That bastard Minhee just had to run his mouth yesterday."

Wooyoung nodded, "Kyungran-ssi, let me remind you that you are being recorded, and everything you say can be used as evidence in a court of law."

The woman just stared at him blankly, "I don't know shit," she declared, rolling her eyes, "Honestly, talking to me is a waste of time."

"I'll be the judge of that."

Wooyoung decided to remain standing in order to assert his dominance in the situation, despite the other chair present in the room.

He began questioning her, following the usual process, asking simple, impersonal questions at first, before moving onto more important things.

"What is your involvement with Jeong Minhee?"

"I met him during the aftermath of SCAR. He asked me to work with him, but did not tell me anything more."

"What is the nature of your relationship with him?"

She scoffed at him, "Aren't you being a little too curious?"

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow, "Aren't _y_ _ou_ being a little too sensitive? Plus, it's my job to ask the questions, Kyungran-ssi, not yours."

She sighed, "Oh whatever, it's not like it makes a difference now anyways," she looked up at Wooyoung, fiddling with her fingers, "He led me on for a while, but once I found out he was cheating on me, we broke up. But I'm still working for his stupid cause anyway, for my own reasons."

"And those are?"

"I used to work for SCAR. I defected just a week before the whole organization screwed itself over, and Minhee tracked me down. He said he was forming a group that was aiming to eliminate all members of SCAR, and having someone on the inside would help, so I agreed. Our....carnal relationship was off the grid, nothing to do with work. That's why I'm still there. So that those who were a part of SCAR are completely wiped out."

Wooyoung nodded to himself, "This is all you know?"

She nodded, "Unless you count the information I have on the old members of SCAR, yes. Plus, the ones I know are all either dead or in jail either way. That is all. So I am quite useless in this little scheme of yours, and I suggest you let me go," she insisted.

"I will let one of my partners get back to you, Kyungran-ssi, but I assure you, _letting you go_ is not on my list of things to do today," he informed her, turning around and exiting the room wordlessly.

He sent a quick text to Yunho, asking him to do a follow-up interrogation and background check on Kim Kyungran, before walking over to the room that held Minhee. That was his big agenda for the day, and he promised himself that he would get something important even if it were the death of him.

He strolled in leisurely, seeing Minhee seated in a pose similar to that of the lady he'd just spoken to, but this time, Wooyoung chose to sit.

"Jeong Minhee-ssi," he said, trying to sound menacing, "This was an unexpected turn of events."

Minhee cackled, "Oh, you have no idea."

"You seem awfully relaxed, for someone who has committed enough crimes to most likely end up with capital punishment or life imprisonment," Wooyoung bit back, raising an eyebrow.

Minhee's laugh died down to a smirk, "Capital punishment is a sugar-coated way of saying you'll kill me," he cocked his head to the side, "and I don't think you will."

Wooyoung clenched his fists under the table, resisting the urge to punch the man in front of him, "And why is that?"

He simply shrugged, "I'm too valuable."

Wooyoung grit his teeth. The man sure knew how to dodge questions. He decided to jump straight into it, "What is the nature of your relationship with Kim Kyungran?"

Minhee's eye twitched, "That bitch told you we were fucking, didn't she?"

"Not in those exact words, but it was the obvious inference, yes."

"Oh well, it's not like there was much more to it anyway. We had a few good times together, and then I got bored, you know? We men need... _excitement_ in our lives, you see, and she just wasn't doing it for me anymore, so I moved on. Too bad she couldn't handle it well."

Wooyoung cut him off before he could say anything more, "You're stalling," he pointed out, immediately moving onto his next question, "What do you know about SCAR? And what is your connection to the group?"

The mention of SCAR somehow seemed to flip a switch in him. The second after Wooyoung had asked the question, Minhee seemed to go rigid, ever-present cocky smirk dissolving, replaced by a set jaw and blank eyes.

"SCAR," he said, monotone, "is nothing."

Wooyoung stayed silent, waiting for Minhee to continue whatever he was saying.

"The 'a' is long gone. It is replaced by 'eo'," Minhee recited, as if it were something he'd spent hours memorizing, "'a' is gone. It is replaced by 'eo'," he repeated.

Wooyoung opened his mouth to speak, but Minhee just repeated the same words again. And again. And again.

"'a' is gone. It is replaced-"

" _Minhee-ssi!_ " Wooyoung hissed, abruptly stopping the man in his seemingly endless tirade, "I think I've heard enough from you. My partner will do a follow-up here once he is done with Kyungran-ssi."

Wooyoung stood, more than a little disturbed by the man's strange behaviour and cryptic words, words that he'd heard Taehyun say before as well. He placed both palms on the table, leaning forward to look more clearly at the man in front of him.

"We are several steps ahead of your little game, and trying to act like a stubborn child will not help you. I trust that you know our ways, and we do not take criminals lightly," Wooyoung growled, "You'll co-operate if you know what's good for you."

Minhee didn't even look at him, staring solemnly ahead at the one-way glass, almost like he could see what was on the other side of it. It was eerie and pitiful at the same time.

"I feel like we are going to be seeing a lot of each other from now on," Wooyoung started walking away, "so I expect you to loosen up by this evening. If you do not co-operate, we will have to resort to more...pressing means to compel you to talk."

He received no response for a second, and had just about placed a foot outside the ajar door when he caught the tail end of a distrungled mumble, "... y'all are stupid. Don't know what's in store for you."

Wooyoung paid no heed, rolling his eyes, as he stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

He hightailed it to Hongjoong and Seonghwa's shared office, almost expecting to see the older's bright smile greet him as he knocked. Instead, he was greeted by a weak, "Come in," from their leader, and he did so.

"I have just talked to the two people we brought in. I will be getting the results of background checks on both of them by the afternoon," he reported, "Any news on Seonghwa-hyung?"

Hongjoong shook his head, "No. I'm thinking of sending a search party."

Wooyoung considered the thought, "Isn't that a little too...obvious? If Seonghwa wanted to disappear, he'd do better than just letting himself get caught by a search party."

Hongjoong groaned, "I know, I know. You're right. If he wanted out, he would get _out_. I just...I don't know what to do."

Wooyoung hadn't seen his leader that way in a long time. He was always so put-together and calm, always level-headed even in the worst of situations. This was...new

Just as Wooyoung was about to say something, his phone buzzed loudly, inverting him, "Hold that thought," he said, taking it from his pocket to check what the notification was for.

** ***** _ **Yeosanngieee**_ ***

* _image attached._ *

Wooyoung clicked on the link, expecting something like a selfie of him with his mother, who was recovering quite well.

What he saw instead made him slap a hand over his mouth and gasp.

Because there was a picture of Yeosang, but he wasn't at Pohang. His mother wasn't there either.

Instead, Yeosang was seated in a wooden chair in an empty room, tied and bound to it by painful looking black restraints, head hung low and hands cuffed together. What grabbed his attention even further was the large skull symbol photoshopped badly into the image, making for an eerie sight.

It was captioned.

' _Tit_ _for tat.'_

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooohhhhh and there's another cliffhanger!! Shit, I'm doing these a lot, aren't I? 
> 
> If y'all can, please go check out my other fics!! 😁😁 
> 
> So...what'd you guys think of this story so far? Have any of you managed to predict anything correctly? 😝😝 
> 
> Let me know in the comments, and subscribe for further updates!!!😁😁
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minhee rolled his eyes, "We do our homework well, Wooyoung-ssi. Tell me, how is your boy toy doing?"
> 
> "My- my what?" 
> 
> "Choi San, was it? Ah, yes. Nice boy, nice boy. Too sweet for his own good. I guess it made ruining his life all the more fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you amazing humans!! (Or not humans, I don't know 😂) 
> 
> Aaaand here's chapter eight!! I think you guys might like this one lol 😉😜
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTE: I've put up a disclaimer before the first chapter of this story, and I compel you guys to go and read it. It has something that I really want to convey to all the fanfic readers and writers out there. 
> 
> Okay, read that and come back here for chapter eight!! 😁😁. 
> 
> Leave Kudos, comments and subscribe to follow this story!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Hongjoong was looking at him worriedly, "What happened?"

Wooyoung wordlessly raised the phone in his hand to show Hongjoong the picture he'd received from Yeosang's phone, of him tied up and held captive.

Hongjoong mirrored his gasp from before, and his eyes widened in a way that would've been comical if not for the circumstances.

The sight of his subordinate in such a state seemed to snap something inside of Hongjoong, triggering his possessive instincts, "Wooyoung-ah, listen to me."

Wooyoung managed to rein himself in enough to nod.

"Tell me everything you know so far, and I'm taking over from Seonghwa. I don't know where he's gone, but he's a terrible person if he's just disappeared by himself in the middle of such an important case. So we will handle Seonghwa when he shows up. For now, I need you to follow these instructions. Convey everything I tell you to the others, we're having everyone join in this case until we take down whoever is behind this."

So Wooyoung nodded, and he spoke. He told him whatever he knew, whatever was leading to it, which parts were unanswered, disconnected, and what they were sure of, like the fact that both Jeong Minhee and Kim Kyungran ended up simply being stepping stones, and even such a dangerous man seemed to be the subordinate of another, if the way he spoke was any indication.

Hongjoong was sharp-eyed and alert through the whole thing, all traces of the vulnerable boy from before gone as he transformed into the unforgiving agent that he was, "I need you to file this as a status report to Eden. Send it in the by the afternoon, once we get the results of Yunho's background check on the two captives. And give me your phone, I'll try to trace where this message from. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

So Wooyoung willingly handed over his work phone (the one he didn't use for personal matters) and walked away with a determined heart and a throbbing temple, bent on bringing an end whatever the hell this was. It had caused too much trouble already.

It was obvious enough that whoever had Yeosang in their clutches was aware that Minhee and Kyungran had been captured. The caption proved it. Now what he needed was a clear head and a fresh start.

He took sometime in his office to draft a status report and send it to Yeonjun for checking and so that he could attach the available evidence and forward it to Eden. When he was done, he leaned back in his chair for a second and finally let his mind wander beyond the realm of a secret agent, onto more...personal things.

Like the incident with San the previous night.

Back then, it had seemed like something so simple and easy- just satisfying his sexual urges with a hot guy.

But now....he felt like he might have fucked up, big time.

Because he'd intended it to be a one-time thing, a simple way to get rid of the stirring in his nether regions as well as the lurch in his heart whenever he saw San, but all it had done was fuel the feelings that were creeping up on him. It essentially made things harder to deal with.

Even worse was the fact that the previous night had been what he would probably classify as his best sexual experience ever. Although they hadn't _actually_ had sex, Wooyoung couldn't say that he hadn't loved it, that he didn't love the way San moaned his name and flushed red under his touch, so pliant as Wooyoung brought him to the brink of ecstasy.

He licked his lips unconsciously, blinking slowly as he tried to classify the feeling in his chest as fleeting, just a result of the events of the previous night, something that just arose from sexual and physical attraction. Definitely not romantic attachment.

Definitely not.

...oh, who was he kidding?

_I like San. I have feelings for San. I want to kiss him. I want to hold him. I want to comfort him when he's hurt. I want to be his boyfriend._

The words seemed foreign in his own mind, toxic and unimaginable, but....they were true. All of it was true.

And now, Wooyoung kind of hated himself, because it felt like he'd just taken advantage of San the previous night, coaxed him into something he really didn't want to do, simply because of his own selfishness.

Just as Wooyoung was standing on the tightrope between giving into his weak heart and hating himself, there was a knock on the door and Yunho walked in.

"Hey, Wooyoung," Yunho said, "I've got some stuff here for you that might be of interest." He handed the younger a folder, labelled _'Jeong Minhee & Kim Kyungran. Profile and BGC'_ (BGC stood for Background check, another common term they used).

Wooyoung accepted it with a smile, and Yunho took the liberty to sit in Yeosang's empty chair in front of him, "Hey, uh, I heard about Yeosang. I'm really sorry. Hongjoong-hyung is working on it, and he says not to worry."

Wooyoung nodded, "Yeosangie is strong. He'll be fine," he insisted, and turned his attention to the folder in his hand, flipping it open.

There was a lot of information he already knew in the woman's profile, but what was at the bottom of the page caught his attention.

'Kim Kyungran-  
Family-  
Mother: Kim Yoona (deceased)  
Father: Kim Ethan  
Spouse: Kim Kyunghun (deceased)  
Siblings: None'

Wooyoung snapped his gaze to Yunho, "What the hell? That guy was her husband?! And she didn't care to mention this to me?!"

Yunho shrugged, "Obviously she didn't want to. Or there's something else under all of this."

Wooyoung bit his lip, mind racing at seventy miles per second, "But she said that she and Minhee were in a relationship?"

Yunho rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't put it past her to cheat on her husband with him."

Wooyoung took a deep breath, "Wow, okay. That's a lot to process. We can go talk to her in a while, right?"

Yunho nodded, "There's more. Read Jeong Minhee's file."

Wooyoung couldn't possibly imagine what could be more ground-breaking than what he'd just discovered, but turned the page anyway, skimming over the words.

There as well, most of the information was previously known to him, as he'd done some digging around himself, but his eyes shifted to the bottom, where family relations were listed.

'Jeong Minhee-  
Family:  
Parents: Unknown  
Siblings: Kim Kyunghun (deceased)  
Spouse: None'

"What the fuck?!"

"Language," Yunho warned, "we're being recorded."

Wooyoung looked at him incredulously, "I don't care about language, Yunho-yah! At least this explains their resemblance, but do you not understand how crazy this is? She slept with both of them? And she was married to one!" He outraged, "She's a crazy woman."

Yunho raised his eyebrows in clear agreement, "Don't I know it."

Wooyoung stood, tucking the folder under his arm, "We're going to talk to them right now."

Yunho agreed easily, and the two of them stalked out of the room, hurriedly walking over to Hongjoong's room first.

"Hyung!" Yunho called, "We need to talk to them again, make sure we get clearance."

Hongjoong looked up from Wooyoung's phone, "Yeah, sure," he clicked something on the screen in front of him, "you should be able to get in now. And Wooyoung-ah, I'm still working on your phone. Since it was sent from Yeosang's phone, which has the same tech as ours, it's taking me a while, but I promise I'll find something."

Wooyoung nodded, "Thanks, hyung. Yeosang is capable of holding his ground, so don't worry."

"I know."

Wooyoung gave his leader one last grateful smile before exiting the room along with Yunho, making their way to the interrogation rooms where their two captives were still being held.

Wooyoung walked over to the room with Minhee, while Yunho tackled the other.

He pushed the door open, walking in to see Minhee in the same positioned been last time, seated while blankly staring ahead of him.

"Minhee-ssi," he called out firmly, "let's have a chat."

The man in the chair looked up at him, amused, "Why?"

"You're Kim Kyunghun's brother?" He asked, getting straight to the point.

His eyes widened for the smallest of moments, invisible to the untrained eye. But Wooyoung caught on, "Oh, a sensitive topic, I see. So it's true then?"

Minhee's momentary shock gave way to that cocky smirk again, "So what if it is?" He scoffed, "What difference does that make?" His fingers had begin to fidget with his ring, pulling it back and forth even without his hands being released from the cuffs.

"I think you know the answer to that question," Wooyoung countered.

"Jung Wooyoung."

Wooyoung eyes widened, "How do you-"

The man rolled his eyes, "We do our homework well, Wooyoung-ssi. Tell me, how is your boy toy doing?"

"My- my what?" Wooyoung noticed that he'd managed to slip the ring off. He was too shocked to care.

"Choi San, was it? Ah, yes. Nice boy, nice boy. Too sweet for his own good. I guess it made ruining his life all the more fun."

Wooyoung slammed his fist down on the table, "Now listen here, I don't know what you think you're doing, but-"

"Did Choi San's dick taste good, hmm? Better than the ice cream he loves so much, perhaps?"

Wooyoung glowered at him, "What the _fuck_ -"

Minhee had the audacity to laugh, "So it's true then? Lucky guess. Well, it doesn't matter now anyway, the boy has nothing left. He's ruined, just like his father was."

Wooyoung grit his teeth, about to bite back with a strongly worded curse, but he was cut off.

"Goodbye, Jung Wooyoung. Be a darling and tell San that I miss him, okay?" Before Wooyoung could question that, he'd brought his ring to his mouth, hands still cuffed, and sucked.

"Wha-" and then, right in front of him, Jeong Minhee's eyes rolled back and his mouth foamed, blood leaking from his nose as his head snapped to the side, and he collapsed.

He was dead.

*****

It was poison. It was embedded in each of those rings.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Minhee's unexpected action had been followed by utter chaos. There were people crowding around the area, to deal with the body and ask nosy questions and basically act like assholes, while Wooyoung was stunned into silence.

The first thing they done, of course, was confiscate the ring from the woman as well, and then call up Taehyun and ask him to bring all the rings he and his friends had to HQ. He was also promised that he would be paid in full, double the amount that he'd been offered by Minhee.

The events had caused Wooyoung to immediately worry about San's well-being too, especially after the extremely weird things that Minhee had said right before he'd killed himself.

So he left his phone with Hongjoong and grabbed his laptop, saying that he would be working at home, and left the building.

Once he made it to his apartment, the first thing he did when he got inside was keep the files and laptop down on the couch and move back to the door to change his password.

When he was satisfied with the new one, he turned around to walk into the bedroom, but was startled by the sight of San coming towards him, dressed in simple sweatpants and a t shirt, "Oh- hi, you scared me," he said, stepping back on instinct.

San took a few more steps forward, "Hey, you look stressed."

Wooyoung avoided his gaze, "Jeong Minhee," he said.

Even that name alone seemed to strike a nerve in San, "Jeong Minhee?!"

Wooyoung cocked his head, "You know him, I'm assuming?"

"Well, moreso my dad than me, but yeah. He used to come over to our place a lot before- before appa was imprisoned," he explained, "I hated him. He was the first one to physically hurt me."

Wooyoung stepped forward, concerned, "What happened?"

San shrugged, "Doesn't matter now. He's long gone, isn't he? He's supposed to have disappeared or something."

Wooyoung let out a humorless chuckle, "I wish."

"Huh?"

"He made an appearance yesterday. I arrested him. But....now he's dead."

"Dead? How?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "Please don't ask questions. I'm really not in the mood to talk."

San came even closer, until they were barely a foot apart, "Maybe- maybe this will help?"

"What?" Wooyoung questioned, voice sounding higher than he would've liked.

"This," San said, and then he strode forward to grab Wooyoung by the nape with his good hand and pull him in to slot their lips together, kissing him slowly, but firmly.

What.

This was bad.

Wooyoung should not be doing this.

Doing this would make him a selfish douchebag with zero self-control.

But then San curled his tongue into his mouth, sighing sinfully against his lips, and Wooyoung threw self-control out the window.

Beacuse god fucking dammit, he was so stressed and San was so sexy and his blood was already rushing to _places_ ; if he continued his work like this, it might just end up making him more frustrated.

Yes, that was right. He was only doing this so he could do his work better, with a relaxed body and mind.

At least that was what he told himself when his arms wrapped around San's impossibly thin waist and pulled him closer, reciprocating eagerly.

It was what he kept telling himself when he guided San's hips against his own, rutting them together and inhaling sharply at the feeling.

It echoed in his mind as he pulled away from San's addicting lips, letting his kisses travel to his jaw and neck before leaving a bruise there, one that he was unreasonably proud of.

And then San moaned for him, so pretty, so willing, and the thought disappeared from his mind, replaced by lust and want, and that little flutter in his chest that he'd now learned to call romantic attraction. 

_Fuck it,_ he thought, sucking a bruise into San's constellation-covered neck, the older tipping his back to give him more access. _Fuck it all_ , Wooyoung thought as he finally gave up, letting his dick live it's own life, twitching in his pants when San let out a particularly delectable sound.

Wooyoung moved his palms to press against the graceful swell of San's hips, riding under the material of his shirt and grazing bare skin. He placed butterfly kisses and little red bruises on San's neck, marking up a constellation of his own on his smooth skin.

Wooyoung found a bruise he'd sucked into San's skin the previous night, letting his teeth graze across it and earning a pleasured hiss from the other man. The younger smirked, nuzzling his nose against San's neck as he spoke, "Hold on."

San barely had the time to furrow his brows in confusion before Wooyoung was hoisting him up by the hips, urging San to wrap his legs around his waist. The older did so without having to be told, and looked down at Wooyoung through his black and turquoise strands that were falling in his eyes, orbs blown out with want, "Wow," he said, sounding almost breathless from arousal, "That was hot."

Wooyoung grinned, reaching up to press a quick, but harsh kiss on San's swollen lips, "There's more where that came from," he teased, pulling away.

San raised an eyebrow, wrapping his good arm around Wooyoung's neck, while the other hung between their bodies, stiff. He leaned down again to press their mouths together, mumbling against Wooyoung's lips, "Bedroom."

Wooyoung wasted no time in moving his hands to San's rear for a better grip- and if he sneaked in a little grope, that was just for him to worry about- and held him closer as he walked the two of them in the direction of the bedroom, sharing kisses along the way.

Wooyoung placed San on his bed so he was lying down and facing the ceiling, while the former shifted back to strip off the jacket and holster from his body, as they were nothing but a hinderance. San leaned back and looked up at him, "Can I ask you a question?"

Wooyoung stripped off his ID card, shoes, socks and belt, all the things that would just be a hassle for them in bed, "Sure, what's up?"

"How far are you willing to take this?"

"You mean this situation right here, or....this is general?" He gestured between them, and San seemed to get the message.

San pursed his lips, "I mean this situation."

It was obvious that San was skirting along the edges of a more sensitive topic, the 'what are we?' that was just waiting for a weak moment to strike.

But Wooyoung wasn't an asshole. He would answer San's question honestly, because avoiding the truth made him both a coward and a liar.

"If you'd let me, we could go all the way," Wooyoung said, looking deeply into San's wide eyes.

"I- I wouldn't mind that," San managed, biting his own lip.

Wooyoung frowned, "You know I'm not asking you to do anything you don't want to, right?" he crawled onto the bed, sitting on the edge, "If you want to go all the way, I'm gonna need a better answer than that."

So San looked right at him, gaze unwavering, and said the most earth-shattering thing he could have ever said, an 8.2 on the Richter scale, if you asked him, "Fuck me, Wooyoung. I want you to."

Wooyoung raised his eyebrows, breaking into a small smile, "You sure?" His heart thundered in his chest.

San nodded, "Hmm. Now get over here and kiss me," he demanded, leaning forward to pull Wooyoung on top of him, joining their lips together in the process.

Wooyoung muffled a surprised sound into San's mouth, crawling over him to pin him down on the sheets.

This time, San didn't protest when Wooyoung tugged at the hem of his shirt, and pulled it off his frame willingly, with a little struggle where it caught on his immobile wrist. Wooyoung stripped himself of his own shirt and pants and leaned over San again, kissing him deeply while his hands explored his fit torso.

There were still a few scars here and there, but Wooyoung thought they all made San who he was right at that moment, the scar that he'd removed his own stitches from, older scrapes and cuts, a few of them seemingly permanent. But he was still beautiful to Wooyoung. Not that he would say that out loud, of course.

His fingers traced the birthmark on San's hip as he kissed down his body, ridding him of the rest of his garments quickly, until they were both naked.

"I- I sorta have stuff to do after this, so we can't take too much time," Wooyoung explained.

"I don't care. It's been so long since I've done this, I'll probably come in, like, three minutes," San answered with an amused puff of air.

Wooyoung giggled, grabbing a bottle of lube and a condom from the drawer in his nightstand. He bit down on San's collarbone as he wrapped a hand around his hard length, earning a loud, drawn-out moan from the older.

Wooyoung pumped him a few times, just enough to get him all hot amd bothered, before pulling away to drizzle the lube over his fingers, bringing his hand down to trace the rim of San's hole.

"Spread a little wider for me," Wooyoung urged, and San complied, moving his knees apart to open his legs wide, for Wooyoung to kneel comfortably in between them and prep him.

The younger was two long fingers deep in San when he found his prostate, the latter crying out and jerking when Wooyoung brushed over it incessantly.

He pulled San into a hot kiss to distract him from the stretch down below, as he slipped a third finger in, swallowing the loud groan that escaped San's lips. He spent a little longer in working him open, not wanting it to hurt, and finally pulled away when San began complaining under his breath that Wooyoung was taking too long.

Wooyoung tore the packet of the condom open and slid it on himself, slicking himself up with the lube before shuffling forwards.

He looked down at San, "Can I?"

San nodded, "Please," he breathed, voice husky and thick with arousal.

Wooyoung quirked his lip upwards in a sort of smile as he pushed slowly into San's heat, having to suppress a guttural moan at the tightness of San around him.

San, on the other hand, had no such reservations. He instinctively threw his head back with a breathless sound when Wooyoung finally filled him up, free hand gripping tightly at the sheets.

"You okay?" Wooyoung's questioned.

San inhaled and exhaled a few times, trying to get used to the feeling, "Yeah...yeah, I'm good. Just been a little-" he shifted a little to get more comfy, "-a little while since I've done this."

Wooyoung nodded, leaning down to lave his tongue over San's shoulders and neck, kissing and nibbling across his skin gently to hopefully distract him from the pain. A few seconds of silence passed, with San squirming and shifting around a little to get relaxed.

"Okay, I think I'm good now," San said.

Wooyoung smiled, "I can move?"

San nodded, "Yeah, you can- _fuck!_ " Before he'd managed to finish that sentence, Wooyoung had rolled his hips forward, grinding into San with purpose.

The younger grinned at the response he received, and took to pulling out about halfway and pushing back in, setting a slowish rhythm to rock his hips to.

Wooyoung looked down at San, who's eyes were shut and mouth was wide open, breathing heavily as Wooyoung pushed in and out of him. San was nudged a little further into the bed with a particularly hard thrust and he cried out, hand flying to Wooyoung's back and gripping him tightly.

Wooyoung got a little lost in himself as he fucked into San faster, little moans and pants leaving his own lips. He gazed at San's face, which was twisted in pleasure, eyes fluttering and lips swollen. His cheeks were flushed red and the little constellation of moles on it made him seem all the more endearing. His neck was lined with little freckles, and bruises Wooyoung had placed there himself, a specimen of perfection, if you asked him.

Wooyoung had to distract his mouth by kissing San, so he didn't say something he would regret later, like "San, you're so beautiful," or "you're the most gorgeous person I've ever seen," or even something more devastating, like accidentally confessing that he liked San in the middle of sex. If that happened, it would be the single worst thing Wooyoung will have ever done.

So he didn't say any of those things.

Instead, he let his words dissolve into their deep kiss, mind occupied with nothing other than 'San San San.' He curled his tongue into San's mouth and moaned agaisnt his lips, all the words he wanted to say melting away when San bucked up into him, pushing Wooyoung deeper inside him.

"Fuck- Wooyoung, faster..." San pleaded, mumbling agaisnt his mouth, and who was he to refuse him?

So Wooyoung pulled back from his lips and got into a more comfortable position, grabbing San by the hips before picking up the pace of his own, pistoning into him without restraint this time.

"Ah - _ah_!" San gasped as he was fucked deeper, faster, and a single tear made its way down his cheek. He cried out, clawing at Wooyoung's back, "There- there! Please...right there," he gasped, and Wooyoung took the hint, aiming his thrusts _right there_ and causing San to become louder, louder, louder, more desperate, more pliant, more _beautiful_.

"I'm close," Wooyoung panted, fingers pressing bruises into San's wide hips.

San nodded, "Me too, don't stop- _fuck_ -"

Wooyoung moved one hand from San's hip to his leaking cock trapped between them, taking it into his hand and stroking him in time with his thrusts.

That seemed to do the trick, because not even a few seconds later, San was moaning his name loudly into the room, coming all over Wooyoung's fist and his own stomach.

Wooyoung groaned when San tightened around him, pressing his lips to the place where San's neck met his shoulder and continued to thrust into him, hips stuttering as he neared the edge.

San gasped at the oversensitivity, abused prostate sending shocks through his body. He clenched around Wooyoung one last time as the younger came inside the condom, his moan muffled into San's neck.

Wooyoung panted into San's neck, breaths loud and heavy as the two of them came down from their high, Wooyoung still buried deep inside the other.

After a minute or so, the younger finally had the energy to move, pulling out of San with a groan and falling back against the mattress right next to him, staring up at the ceiling.

San's breath hitched when Wooyoung pulled out of him, and he took deep breaths as he laid next to the other quietly.

Wooyoung tied off and threw the condom in the trash can with perfect aim. Neither of them spoke at first, but Wooyoung knew he had to soon.

"San?"

"Hmm?"

"You doing okay?"

San chuckled softly, "I'm doing great, thanks. Have you ever been told how amazing you are in bed?"

Wooyoung blushed brightly, mumbling out something unintelligible, even as San laughed at his plight.

They stayed quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the comfortable silence before it bled into slightly awkward. Wooyoung moved to get up and go to the bathroom to clean up and get dressed, before bringing a warm, wet washcloth with him to wipe down San.

Once he'd done so, San thanked him and stood up unsteadily, walking over to the other bed and collapsing onto it in a heap, still naked.

Wooyoung looked over at him, smiling when it took barely five minutes before he was fast asleep, mouth half open and dead to the world as he cuddled his pillow like his life depended on it.

Wooyoung sighed, standing up from his own bed to hobble over to his desk in the corner. He sat down on the chair, soft beams of the small lamp on his nightstand illuminating the room in shades of gold. It gave San's skin a sort of innocent glow, his cheekbones shining in the dim light, making Wooyoung want to kiss him there. There, his neck, his lips, his forehead, his everywhere.

Wooyoung wanted to kiss him everywhere and hold him and hug him and make love to him and oh god, he was so screwed.

He let out a frustrated huff, looking away from the adorable sight of San fast asleep, instead turning to his desk to get some papers out, turn on his desk light, and get to work.

At least now his body was relaxed, and he could work better.

*****

Wooyoung awoke to the sound of his personal phone ringing, the one that he used for purposes other than those that were work-related. He kept the former at home, and took the other one with him to work, usually. At the moment, his work phone was in Hongjoong's clutches, so he was using this one.

He had fallen asleep on his desk the night before, and he was still there. He groaned softly as he grabbed his phone to answer it. It was Hongjoong.

"Hey, hyung. What's up?" He made sure to keep his voice low, so he didn't wake the man sleeping behind him.

Hongjoong's voice came back to him, sounding all raspy, as if he hadn't slept through the night, "Wooyoung-ah, I was trying to crack this, and a message just came through from Yeosang. I know it's early, but how soon can you get here?"

"Give me ten minutes."

*****  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omgomgomgomg did I just write that? 🤭 
> 
> Shit okay that's...I don't know what that is what'd you guys think?? Was my take on bottom San okay? I've never written something like that before, so I really wanna have your opinion lol🙃
> 
> P.S. This fic was locked before, but those of you who read the disclaimer will understand why I finally decided to leave it open. 
> 
> Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments, and subscribe to follow the story!!! 😁 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Because he's- he's Choi Yeonseung's son."
> 
> "What?!"
> 
> "I- I promise, I can explain," Wooyoung pleaded.
> 
> Hongjoong looked at him with cold, steely eyes, "We have time. Spill."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! 
> 
> I've been working on this fic for over a month now, and I'm super flattered by all your amazing comments🤭🤭 leave some more for me down below!! 
> 
> Chapter 9 is where the plot answers a few questions, and brings up a few more 🤪 so I hope you guys like this one💖 
> 
> Once again, those who haven't looked at it already, I request you to go read the disclaimer that I've put up before the first chapter!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

"Hyung, it's me. What's up?" Wooyoung asked as he pushed open the door to Hongjoong's office and walked in.

"Wooyoung-ah, sit," Hongjoong gestured to the chair in front of him, on the other side of the wooden desk in the room.

Wooyoung pulled the chair out and sat down, looking expectantly at Hongjoong for some sort of an explanation.

The older man grabbed Wooyoung's phone from where it was placed on his closed laptop and handed it to him, the texting app already open.

His chat with Yeosang was open, the one from where he'd recieved the picture of Yeosang tied up and held captive.

Now, there was a new message. Quite a long one, from the looks of it.

* _Hey, Wooyoung-ah. It's 1045 here,_ * he read.

Wooyoung jerked up, "But that's...are you sure that's right? That's his ID, but how can we be sure it's Seonghwa-hyung?" He asked.

"Keep reading. You'll see."

* _Please don't ignore this message. To prove that it really is me, there is something only I know about Joongie. He has a scar on his right inner thigh, it's shaped like a T. He'll confirm that this is true._ *

One firm nod from Hongjoong confirmed the statement, and Wooyoung continued reading.

* _I'm going to delete this message from this phone after I send it. I'm in hiding right now. Before I say anything else, let me apologize for suspecting that you were unfaithful to us in any way._ *

Wooyoung frowned, wondering what that was about, and continued skimming over the words.

* _I received a message about a week ago, that you were allied with someone from SCAR, that you were betraying us. Of course, I didnt believe it at first, but then some things happened that forced me to change my mind. I said some things to some people, that I shouldn't have said, and it may have cost some innocent people their lives. To redeem for my mistakes, I decided to do some poking around myself._ *

* _I discovered that you were indeed allied with Choi San, and I found out that he was staying with you through security camera footage. I was angry then, and it blinded me, causing a blunder, where I leaked some of your personal information and passwords to people that shouldn't be knowing them. To make up for it, I decided to find out who it was, who was in contact with me._ *

* _I was hidden nearby when someone came to your apartment and tried getting in, that day when you were gone with Mingi and Yunho. I acted as a spy and recieved information that it was just some innocent kid who'd been paid to scare you. It was me who erased the footage, so we wouldn't get off on the wrong foot. However, I underestimated how far these people are willing to go in order to get to their goals, which is, at the moment, capturing Choi San and getting revenge for the others._ *

* _They easily discovered me, and I got into a deal with them. One that I shouldn't have agreed to. It led to Yeosang being tied up and held hostage, as you saw him. There are several things I cannot say over text, so I will explain them once I see you._ *

* _But all this is not why I'm sending this in the first place. I need you to follow these instructions to a dot. Choi Jongho from the junior detectives divison will be able to decipher the code underneath this message. Come to the specified address, in three weeks' time. Three weeks from today. I promise I will keep Yeosang safe until then. No earlier, for that will lead to several complications. Bring everyone in our division with you._ *

Wooyoung felt his chest grow tighter and tighter which each word, each sentence, that he read, and he grit his teeth, "What the hell is all of this?" He wondered out loud, "How the hell are we supposed to believe-"

He was interrupted by Mingi, Yunho and Choi Jongho walking into the room, bowing to Hongjoong before standing behind Wooyoung. Hongjoong nodded at the newcomers, and gestured for Wooyoung to finish reading before he said anything.

Wooyoung inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, as he read the last paragraph of the long message.

* _I am so sorry, Wooyoung. Do not try to contact, or text this number back for now. Act as if you do not know anything. And please, take care of Choi San. He is in more danger than you think, and it will only get worse as time passes. He's innocent, and he's good at heart, but there are some people who really seem to think he's scum. Protect him from those people. Do anything you have to, in order to keep him safe._ *  
* _See you in three weeks,_ *  
* _Toothless._ *

Then there were a few lines of seemingly nonsensical text in English, but Wooyoung knew better. That was the code that Seonghwa was talking about. The one that he seemed confident in Jongho's abilities to crack.

And that was it. The fact that it was signed 'Toothless' confirmed that it was indeed Seonghwa, or at least someone that he could trust. That was the name that Wooyoung had given him when he'd first joined the force and Seonghwa had been his go-to confidante hyung, since he resembled the dragon from the movie.

He looked up, meeting Hongjoong's eyes. The older raised an eyebrow at him, and Wooyoung bit his lip nervously, cracking his knuckles as he placed the phone down, "I'm assuming you want an explanation from me now?"

Hongjoong crossed his arms, sitting back, "What do you think?" He turned to the other three in the room, "The rest of you guys, grab chairs from the corner and sit. We have a lot to discuss."

Yunho, Mingi and Jongho complied silently, understanding that it was a difficult situation. Once they were seated, Hongjoong asked for Wooyoung to speak, to tell his side of the story.

The younger sighed, "I...I'm sorry," he said bluntly.

"That's not a explanation."

"I know, I just....I'm really sorry I didn't tell you before. San is just...he's alone, he's got no one behind him, and I don't want him to get into trouble. He's already had to deal with enough. Putting him through the whole process of being witness to Kyunghun's murder, it would just be torture to him," Wooyoung explained.

"Wait, what do you mean- witness to Kim Kyunghun's murder?"

Realisation dawned on Wooyoung then, "Shit."

Hongjoong widened his eyes, "Are you telling me you concealed this information for so long, just because you wanted to protect this boy?! We don't bite, Wooyoung. Why didn't you just bring him here?"

Wooyoung felt himself jump further and further into the hole he'd dug for himself, "Because he's- he's Choi Yeonseung's son."

" _What?!_ "

"I- I promise, I can explain," Wooyoung pleaded.

Hongjoong looked at him with cold, steely eyes, "We have time. Spill."

And Wooyoung did. He explained everything. He even told them how he'd begged for Yeonjun to stay quiet, and said that the poor boy had no part to play in the matter. He told them everything, except the parts that he didn't want to think about himself, the part where Wooyoung had been naked and on his knees for San just two days ago, and then just the previous night, how he'd taken San like it was his last day on earth.

Obviously, he left out those things.

Those things, he didn't understand them himself, how was he to explain it to his colleagues and boss?

At the end of his story, Hongjoong's jaw was wide open, much like the others'. Even Jongho, who'd just been brought into the case seemed shocked by his story.

Hongjoong sighed loudly, "Wo- wow. I don't know exactly how to deal with this...which is a first."

It wasn't even a lie, Hongjoong had always been the level-headed one. The one who made the decisions when everyone else was stumped. If he was unsure of the situation, then it really wasn't a very good sign.

Wooyoung nodded, "Let me just say something first, hyung."

"Yes?"

"Please, please don't let San get hurt. I've spoken with him a lot, and we're...friends now, and the last thing I would want is for him to get hurt. So can we just keep this conversation between us? I don't want him to know that you guys are aware of his involvement."

Hongjoong nodded, "I was going to suggest that as well. I say we keep him in the dark until we get further information."

Wooyoung smiled gratefully, "Thank you, hyung."

Hongjoong hummed in acknowledgement, turning to the others, "Yunho. Go speak to Kim Kyungran immediately. Make sure she doesn't try anything funny. Report to me at noon. That means you have four hours to finish this and summarise what you know."

Yunho stood up, nodding, "Yes, hyung." With that, he turned around and walked out of the room.

"Mingi, I need you to reinforce security in your homes. Especially Yeosang and Wooyoung's. Change all passwords, and security cameras must be refreshed and wiped of all previous data. We can never be too safe. Report to me when you're done. Tell Yeonjun to keep track of everything."

Mingi stood as well, "Got it, chief," he said, before following Yunho out the door.

"As for you, Jongho."

"Yes, sir?"

"Hyung is fine. What's your ID?"

"2817."

"Okay, 2817. Come over here and read this report that was filed yesterday, so we can get you upto speed," he began, but Wooyoung interrupted him.

"Hyung, I've got something else on my laptop. I can open it for you. It's my personal report. It includes everything I know, including San's involvement. Would you like to see that instead?"

Hongjoong nodded, "That would be great. Good job on at least keeping track by yourself."

"Of course I did," Wooyoung huffed, "I'll just get my laptop from my office."

With that, the agent stood, turning away to fetch his laptop.

When he got back, Jongho was in deep conversation with Hongjoong, but he stopped talking as soon as Wooyoung entered the room, looking expectantly at him instead.

"Here you go," he said, placing the open laptop onto Hongjoong's desk, facing away from himself, "It's already on the screen."

Hongjoong nodded, eyes following the words on the laptop, "Okay...good. Jongho, I think if you just go through this, it should be more than enough for you. Once you're done with that, there's a code that you have to interpret for us."

Wooyoung took all the information in, processing everything that had just learnt.

"Hyung, what about me?"

Hongjoong turned to him, "Check if we've got the preliminary autopsy results of Jeong Minhee, so we can find out what exactly killed him. Then report to me here and we'll see."

Wooyoung nodded, "Yes, hyung."

Hongjoong smiled at him and shooed him out of the room, before turning to Jongho and pulling him to sit beside him, reading Wooyoung's status report together.

Wooyoung took a deep breath and began walking to the hall way, where the HQ's common phone was kept. He checked his personal phone for the number Hongjoong had sent him, and dialled, before pressing the phone to his ear.

A quick minute of coversation revealed that they weren't ready with the results yet, but they would be getting them by that evening. Apparently, a junior resident at the hospital would be sent over to deliver the report to them.

He texted Yeonjun, giving him a heads up to make sure that he collected the report and gave it straight to Wooyoung in the evening.

Once he'd received an affirmation in return, he made his way back to Hongjoong's room to relay the information that they'd have to wait a while.

He entered to see Jongho and Hongjoong in a similar position from when he'd left, leaning over Wooyoung's laptop and intently reading the information on the screen.

"Hey, hyung. The results haven't come in yet. We'll get them this evening," Wooyoung said.

Hongjoong looked up at him, "Thanks. Wanna help us work some stuff out? We could always use an extra mind."

Wooyoung nodded, "Sure."

He took a seat on the other side of Jongho, so the youngest was between the boy of them, and grabbed his own phone to look at the code under the message.

It was just a bunch of english letters, that he could read and recognise individually, but they didn't seem to make any sense when they were put together. They didn't even seem like words.

"Jongho," he called, and the younger turned to him curiously, "Our hyung said that you'd be able to understand this code. I think it should be an address or something like that?"

Jongho took the device from his hand, peering into the screen, "Oh!" He exclaimed, "Right, I know what this is. Seonghwa-hyung and I worked on this in my first assignment, to text each other without being found out."

Hongjoong had stopped staring at the computer, now interested in what Jongho had to say as well, "What is it?" He asked.

Jongho grabbed a notepad and a pencil from the corner of the desk, placing it on table before beginning to write, copying the code down as it was, "You see these are English letters...right?"

"Hm?" Wooyoung prompted.

"So...we thought of this system, where we would be texting in English, using the English keyboard on our phones, but what matters is that this message is actually in Korean," he explained, taking his own phone from his pocket and opening the notes app, "Basically, the Korean keyboard has letters in a particular order, right? And so does the English one? So if we substitute these English letters, for what's in their place in the Korean keyboard on our phones, we should be able to read the message in Korean."

"Wow, that's nice. Did you develop this yourself?" Hongjoong asked.

Jongho nodded with a shy smile, "Developing and cracking codes was one of our basic training workshops. I made this one, and Seonghwa-hyung and I used it together when he was my supervisor on my first solo assignment. He said it was good too."

"It is," Wooyoung praised, "Honestly, it's pretty neat."

"Thank you," Jongho grinned. He then silently got to work, writing down the Korean letters corresponding to the English ones, depending on their position in the keyboard.

Slowly, but surely, they began to see words. Phrases. Sentences they could recognise. It only took a few minutes for Jongho's trained mind to put it all together.

Finally, they could see the address that had been written in perfect Korean, easy for them to understand.

They studied the address, and Wooyoung was just about to put the location into his phone and check for it, when the door slammed open and Yunho spoke, "Hyung!" He said, sounding breathless, "I need you guys to come out here, right now."

The three of them nodded and stood up, following Yunho outside.

Wooyoung's senses were sharpened by years of training and experience, but the sound he picked up as they walked along the hallway still seemed odd, "Is that....a woman screaming?"

Yunho swallowed, leading them down the corridor, "Yeah, yeah it's Kim Kyungran. She didn't exactly take the news of Minhee's death too well. She seems...unstable. I've left a guy with her to hold her back, but she was struggling a lot. Threatened to break her own wrists by pulling at her cuffs, until we removed them. Just...come and see for yourself," he moved out of the way so they could peek into the room from the outside. That way they would be able to see what was going on inside, but the woman wouldn't be able to see them.

Now, the screaming was about fifteen times louder, and clearer. The woman inside the room looked nothing like the epitome of deadly grace Wooyoung remembered her as. Now, her eyes were red and bloodshot, and the scar across her face seemed to etch raw into her skin, making her appear distraught and hysterical. Her dark hair was a mess, and hung around her bony shoulders as she screamed and thrashed in a larger man's hold, begging incoherently for god-knows-what. Her cuffs were no longer on her wrists, arms held back by the man behind her.

She looked- every bit- like a crazed woman.

Hongjoong let out a huge exhale, "Did you manage to get anything from her, Yunho?"

"Not really, hyung. I walked in there, and when she asked me how Minhee was, I told her he was dead, and she seemed to just....snap. Started kicking and screaming and everything," Yunho explained.

Wooyoung processed everything he'd seen so far, and took a chance, walking around to the door and stalking in despite Hongjoong's warnings from behind him. He ignored the thrashing woman in the room, though, and made his way straight to the man behind her, whispering to him, before he nodded, and brought a palm to Kyungran's nape, hitting her there hard enough to knock her out.

She abruptly went quiet, and her head lolled to the front, hair falling over her face as she lost consciousness. Wooyoung told the man to make sure she stayed stable and quiet before leaving the room and walking back over to the others.

"Okay, that works for now," Hongjoong said, "but I think we might need to get a doctor here, to help her out. She doesn't seem too...in control."

Wooyoung nodded, "I'll tell Yeosa- oh, right- um... Yeonjun to get someone to have a look at her," he winced at his own slip-up.

Yunho patted him on the back, "It'll be okay, Wooyoung-ah. Yeosang will be fine. Seonghwa-hyung promised to take care of him, right?"

Wooyoung hummed his approval, "I guess so. It's still...odd without him, you know? Like a hole I can't fill."

Hongjoong scoffed, "And yet, there's someone at your place filling that hole."

Wooyoung's jaw dropped as he looked at his leader, aghast, "It's not like that, hyung! Yeosang is like my brother, and Sannie is... different." He didn't know since when he'd started calling San that, but it wasn't the time to dwell on such things.

"Sure, sure."

"Hyungg," he whined, and Hongjoong simply raised an eyebrow at him before walking back towards his office.

Wooyoung called Yeonjun, and gave him instructions to deal with Kim Kyungran, and to make sure that Minhee's death wasn't brought up in front of her for the time being, at least until they were sure that she wouldn't react so maniacally anymore.

Once that was done, he followed Hongjoong and the others back to the leader's office, to continue the work they'd left there.

Discussion regarding Kim Kyungran was temporarily halted in favour of checking the address they'd received from Seonghwa.

A rough glance told Wooyoung that it was definitely somehwere he'd been before- the street name, the area, everything sounded awfully familiar. He frowned, and typed the address into the computer, waiting for the results to pop up.

As they did, he got quite the surprise.

It was the same place. The place that brought back memories from long ago, when he'd been sent to the thick, interior parts of Seoul on one of his first missions. When he'd been nineteen and naive and eager to succeed.

He'd been sent there to investigate, when there'd been suspicious sightings of people who were rumoured to be in alliance with SCAR. It had turned out to be null in the end, as the place has just been an old warehouse which was the home to many a cobweb, and not to mention extremely smelly and dirty. The place had seemed deserted, and Wooyoung had reported back as such.

The reappearance of that place caused Wooyoung widen his eyes and gasp, "Hyung, that's the-"

"Yeah," Hongjoong cut him off, "It's the same place from three years ago. A week or so before SCAR's leader was killed."

Yunho sighed, "Well, everything is just turning around in circles, huh?"

Hongjoong raised his brows, scrolling through the available satellite images of the run-down place, "Seems so. We're right back to square one. Now, we also have a new variable to consider, and that's Choi San. We still don't know what these people want from him, anyway. Just that they definitely want San."

Wooyoung nodded, "Is it okay for him to continue going to college and stuff, hyung?"

Hongjoong shrugged, "College shouldn't be an issue. The problem is keeping track. Do you think you could slip a chip into his phone when he's asleep or something? So you can track his movements. Just don't tell him anything. He can't know that we know about his involvement. It might just freak him out too much."

Wooyoung hummed in affirmation, "I can do that, hyung," he agreed despite his hesitance to essentially spy on San.

"Seonghwa says that he's in more danger than we think he is. I'm not sure what that means, but the fact they have a lot more regarding his background than we do is definitely a factor. So can you find out more about him, Wooyoung?Just get every piece of information you can about him. Whether it's personal or otherwise."

"I'm- I'm not exactly sure if invading his privacy is the way to do this," Wooyoung began, hesitant, "He's gone through a lot. Pumping him for more information will probably cause a lot of discomfort to him."

Yunho looked at him, "How comfortable are you with him, exactly?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "We're friends, I guess."

Yeah. _Friends._

"Well, you might want to dig a little deeper, Wooyoungie. Is there anything that you already know, that might be useful?"

"He said he saw Jeong Minhee a few times when he was a kid. That's about it, I guess. He told me that he had no idea about his father's participation in SCAR, and it came as a shock to his whole family when he was arrested."

"Well, that's barely anything," Hongjoong groaned, "At least, we know that he isn't a bad guy, right?"

"Of course not!" Wooyoung denied, "He's so sweet, hyung. I don't think he could hurt anyone."

"You don't have to get defensive, I'm just saying," Hongjoong chuckled, "You seem very protective of him," he observed.

Wooyoung looked down at his shoes, "Um...I guess I am. He doesn't really deserve any of the shit that's happened to him just because of his father, and by helping him recover from his injuries, I probably just developed a soft spot for him, you know?"

Yunho scoffed, "Yeah, soft spot. More like soft, cheesy feelings."

"Wha- what? I don't-"

Yunho just giggled, "Don't worry, I'm not accusing you. Just...consider it. You seem very fond of him."

"Um...can we please change the subject?"

Hongjoong grinned, "Sure, just...don't fall too deep if you do, Wooyoungie. Remember that you're still playing with fire here. Tread lightly. The goal here is to find out as much as you can, breach his boundaries if you have to, so that we can make sure he stays safe. Plus, the more information we have, the better. And since Kim Kyungran really isn't in much of a position to talk right now, San is the only lead we have."

"Hyung, if I may interrupt," Jongho called out, "I think I can track the location of this last message. It isn't as untraceable as the previous ones. If I trace it back to the same location that Seonghwa-hyung gave us, then we have proof that everything here is reliable information."

Hongjoong nodded, "That would be great, Jongho-yah. While you get started on that, I'm going to put in a request to Eden-nim for some equipment we might need to do this job," he turned to Wooyoung and Yunho, "You guys, listen here," he addressed them.

They nodded in unison, and Hongjoong began giving them instructions, "If Jongho works this out, then we can be sure that Seonghwa and Yeosang are safe for now, at least. That means Wooyoung, you can get started on finding out more about San, while Yunho can work with Mingi to work around Kim Kyungran's obvious issues. If we get her to spill, there's nothing like it.

"So your orders for now are: Wooyoung, go home. Stay with San. Keep him safe and increase security as much as you can, and keep tracking him 24x7. And do not come to work unless you are called. You are to stay within San's vicinity unless you are told otherwise. Yunho, you go with him and help out Mingi, and once you're done, report back here."

Wooyoung processed the orders, ignoring the little flutter in his chest when he was told that he'd be staying with San the whole time, and he was not to leave his side. He still wasn't sure how he felt about him, and whether he would actually ever act on said feelings, but he knew that it wasn't the time to think about that, "Got it, hyung. We should leave now? And I'm not coming back here until I'm called, yeah?"

"Yes."

"Mhm," Yunho acknowledged in a sing-song way, before dragging Wooyoung outside with him, so that they could go over to his apartment and begin carrying out their orders.

"Send my laptop over later, hyung!" Wooyoung called over his shoulder as they left, hoping against hope that all of this would end well.

He had several things he needed to do, but somehow there was only one that seemed the most daunting of all ideas.

He had to talk to San.

About more than just the stupid case. He had to talk to him about the incident from two days ago, and about the previous night. About the fact that they'd had sex. Like....actually had _sex._

_Fuck, I'm so screwed._

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooof shit's going down, huh? 
> 
> Did you guys find this chapter interesting? Boring? Confusing? Let me know in the comments!!😁 
> 
> After this, I'll probably be exploring woosan's dynamic a little more, so I hope you look forward to that!! 
> 
> And as always, leave comments, and subscribe to follow!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wooyoung pushed down the feeling in his gut telling him to pull San into his arms and hold him there forever, "What do you mean by that?"
> 
> "Well, I never told my dad this, and maybe it would've caused a change in heart for him, but I couldn't bear to do so. Not when I knew that it would end worse for me," San explained, "Jeong Minhee- he hurt me, once."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand hey guys!!!😊 
> 
> I'm back with chapter 10!! 😁 I'm not sure exactly how long this story is gonna be, but I think this might be somewhere around the half-mark 😝 
> 
> Thank you guys for all your amazing comments in the previous chapters, y'all are the best 🤭 
> 
> Leave me some more down below, and subscribe to follow the story!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Wooyoung waved to Yunho and Mingi and entered the new password for his place, as they wished him good luck and walked past him with matching grins.

They'd received information a few minutes ago that Kim Kyungran's condition was stable, but she was still in some state of panic or shock, and questioning her while she was in such a condition wouldn't be good for either party. So that had been postponed for a few days at least.

Wooyoung had decided to help out Mingi and Yunho to hurry up the job of increasing security before he left them to go home, and now all that was left was to connect the cameras to the residents' phones, which could be done easily, so Wooyoung decided to leave them to themselves at that point.

And maybe he'd also offered to help Yunho and Mingi so that he could put off his looming confrontation with San, that was bound to happen. He was just dreading it, and any excuse to put it off was a valid one to him, but he knew it had to be done at some point, and the sooner, the better. Especially considering their time restraints.

Wooyoung sighed as he pushed the door open and went inside, before closing it behind him, "Hey, San, it's me! I'm home!" he called, expecting a reply in return.

When he didn't receive one, he frowned and walked to the bedroom where he expected to see him. Weirdly enough, there was no one there either, but then Wooyoung noticed that the bathroom lights were on and that he could hear the sound of the water in the shower.

Okay, weird time to shower, but Wooyoung wasn't about to judge him for it.

He simply shrugged off his jacket and holster, and other offending garments before walking over to his closet and picking up a simple pair of shorts and a t shirt. He changed in record time before jumping onto his bed and grabbing his phone to play something while he waited for San.

After a few mindless minutes of sudoku, he heard the bathroom door open, and San stepped out, wearing nothing but a towel around his hips, another in his hand, the one in the cast wrapped in plastic.

"Hey," he called, and San abruptly turned his way, jerking from shock and causing the towel on his hips to slip a little.

He fixed it hurriedly and looked at Wooyoung once he'd thrown the second towel in the laundry bin, "You're early," he pointed out, as he carefully removed the plastic covering from his arm.

Wooyoung forced his eyes to stop raking over San's exposed torso and swallowed, gathering his thoughts before he spoke, "Yeah, I got sent home from work. Apparently there isn't much I have to do there for a while, and I've been told to work from home until I'm called, so...you're finally going to feel like you have an actual roommate, and not a fly on the wall that keeps disappearing while you sleep," Wooyoung quipped enthusiastically, unable to stop the smile from appearing on his lips.

San grinned back, "Sounds fun, roommate. Let me put on some clothes and maybe we can do something together, hm?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "Or you could just stay naked, I mean..." He didn't know where he'd got the confidence from, but he managed to follow that statement by running his gaze over San's body, shamelessly checking him out.

San's ears went a little red despite his confident stance, "As good as that sounds," he began, moving forward to place a teasing kiss on Wooyoung's lips, "I'm still a little sore from last night, and I'm gonna need sometime before we can go there again."

Wooyoung immediately felt guilty, "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No, it was great. It's just been a while since I've done that with anyone, so yeah. Plus, I think I enjoy a little pain," San countered.

Wooyoung giggled, "I should've known you'd be kinky."

San sputtered,cheeks tinting red, "What- no, not _kinky_ , I just-"

Wooyoung laughed, eyes crinkling up and cheekbones lifting, "Relax, I'm just teasing you."

San rolled his eyes, before walking over to the shelf Wooyoung had given him to keep his stuff in, and pulled out a pale blue t shirt and khaki pants along with his underwear. He carelessly stripped off the towel and managed to get his clothes on with one hand, changing in front of Wooyoung without shame because, well, Wooyoung had already seen everything.

"Come here," Wooyoung invited, patting the empty spot next to him on the bed, "We should probably talk."

San nodded and joined Wooyoung in bed, shoulders touching each other, "Will this take long? I have to catch up on some work. Speaking of that, I can go back to college tomorrow, right?"

Wooyoung nodded, "Yeah, sure. We changed the cameras and passwords, so it should be fine now. Still, whenever you go out and come in, be careful so you're not easily seen."

"Okay," San agreed easily, and shifted a little closer to Wooyoung, bad arm rested on his lap leisurely.

"We should probably...." Wooyoung hesitated, "discuss some things."

"Hm?"

Wooyoung pursed his lips, "There's some work stuff I have to ask you, for one. And then...we have to talk about what happened yesterday. You know that, right?"

San sighed, "Yeah, I do. I still wish we could just skip that part, but...yeah."

Wooyoung gave him a small smile, "I'm not going to pressure you into anything, Sannie. I hope you know that."

San hummed, "Yeah, I do," he paused, "Let's start with your work stuff. We can circle back to this later. What's up with that?"

"Well," Wooyoung began, "I want to know your story. About everything that you know, no matter how insignificant it may seem. I believe that you're on the right side of things, but if it does come up, I'll need enough evidence to prove that you are with me. Is that okay?"

"Okay," San said, "But honestly, I don't think I'll be of much help. There's not much I remember from back then, and even with what I do remember, it's...not very clear. I don't know..." He trailed off.

Wooyoung frowned, "I don't know if you're hiding something or you really don't know anything significant."

San shook his head, "Honestly, I don't know anything. I'd tell you if I did. The only thing I remember is that Jeong Minhee was my dad's close friend, or so he said. He- he convinced my dad to join SCAR. I'm not sure when, but yeah. And, um...he hurt me. Once."

Wooyoung pushed down the feeling in his gut telling him to pull San into his arms and hold him there forever, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I never told my dad this, and maybe it would've caused a change in heart for him, but I couldn't bear to do so. Not when I knew that it would end worse for me," San explained.

"Jeong Minhee- he hurt me, because I started looking through my dad's things, once. Honestly, I was just looking for my notes for school, and I thought it might have been in my dad's desk, so I checked. I didn't exactly expect to see a gun in there, and suspicious packets of white stuff. I wasn't even going to cause any trouble, but then that guy, Jeong Minhee, came into the room and saw me snooping. He thought I was stealing my dad's gun, for some reason, when I honestly didn't know anything about it before. And then, he hurt me. He beat me up, and yelled at me. It was pretty bad, and he told my dad that I'd just fallen into his desk and hurt myself, when it was really him that slammed me into that stupid fucking desk. He threatened to report me to the police for stealing a gun if I didn't keep my mouth shut about it, so I did. And that's that. I never saw him again, and two months later, my dad was in jail."

Wooyoung gasped, and this time, he couldn't hold back his instinct to reach out and grab San's right hand and squeeze it,, "I'm so sorry, Sannie. That guy's just got way too many problems."

San didn't resist his affection, squeezing back just as hard, "It's okay. He's gone now, right? You told me he was dead. I never have to see his stupid face again."

Wooyoung nodded, still frowning, "It's still weird, though, that he killed himself just like that."

San turned his face to look at him in shock, "He killed himself?!"

"Yeah, and right in front of me, it was gross. I'm not allowed to tell you anything about it, but I guess that guy's dead now, so it doesn't matter anymore."

San shuddered in disgust, "That's horrible."

"It is."

They were silent for a long minute, Wooyoung's thumb aimlessly tracing across San's palm.

Wooyoung's thoughts ran a mile a minute in his head, confusing him and comforting him all at once. It was indeed terrible that San had had to deal with being blackmailed by a mastermind criminal like Minhee, but maybe it was all for the best, and the case would be closed soon.

San told him that that was all he knew, and remembered, that had anything to do with SCAR. After that, there hadn't been much that had happened.

Wooyoung absently caressed San's hand in his, feeling the soft texture under his skin, causing his own nerve endings to light up with new, unexplored feelings.

It was weird. The fact that he liked San this way. He didn't think he'd ever liked someone this way before, and even his stupid school boy crush on Yeosang had disappeared in a few weeks. This was...different. His heart seemed to do a little jump in his chest everytime San did something even remotely nice for him, or even when he just looked at him with his pretty, feline eyes. When San told him about his own pain, Wooyoung had, several times, wondered if there was a way he could take all that pain and throw it away, so that San only knew happiness and love and smiles.

That was what he deserved.

He deserved to know the truth.

"Sannie?" He called, breaking the silence.

"Yeah?"

"I like you."

San pulled his hand out of the younger's, "You....what?"

"I like you," Wooyoung repeated, "As in, I'd like to kiss you and sleep with you and I want to go on dates with you," he swallowed nervously, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

San's eyes went wide, "You- you do?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "Yeah. And it's fine, whatever you say."

San gulped, "Um...what if I said yes?"

Wooyoung smiled, "Then that would be nice." Honestly, it wasn't an impossible assumption. San _had_ , after all, been the one to make a move the first time they'd met. So Wooyoung had never disregarded the possibility that San felt something for him too.

The latter finally seemed to get over his shock, and shifted in the bed to fully look at Wooyoung. His good hand reached out to take Wooyoung's again, and his gaze travelled to Wooyoung's open expression, searching for hesitance, "I like you too."

Wooyoung smiled, "You do?"

"Yeah," San affirmed.

Wooyoung's heart fluttered in his chest when San shifted even closer to him, until they were separated by barely a few centimetres, "So... I can do this?"

The intention behind the action was obvious. Wooyoung smiled, "Kiss me," his eyes fluttered shut.

And San did.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Wooyoung's, kissing him with a closed mouth and an open heart, finally looking for something other than physical relief from each other.

San smiled into it, lips meeting again and again and again in little pecks and brushes, Wooyoung's delightfully cute giggles accenting the wet sound of their kisses in the room.

They finally pulled back, opening their eyes to look at each other, "...so?" Wooyoung asked.

San took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, "I- um....I'm not sure what to do now..."

Wooyoung giggled softly, high-pitched voice sounding adorable in accompaniment to his red cheeks and crinkling eyes, "Who said we have to do anything?"

"What- what does that mean?"

Wooyoung shrugged, leaning back against the headboard and pulling San closer to him, so that they were pressed together at the sides, "It means we like each other, and _maybe_ this could go somewhere, but it's too early to think about that, so we just....be."

San smiled, resting his head on Wooyoung's shoulder naturally, "I'd like that."

"It's settled then," Wooyoung declared, tilting his head to press a soft kiss against San's temple before leaning his head on top of the other's, pulling him into his side.

_Let's just....be._

*****

"Wooyoung-ah, Jongho did it!" Hongjoong declared excitedly, his voice enthusiastic even over the phone.

"Uh...did what, hyung?" Wooyoung questioned.

"He traced the address back to the same place! It's really Seonghwa who texted us. Oh my gosh, you have no idea how relieved I am that it's really him," he exhaled heavily, "I mean, no one else knows about my thigh scar, but I still had my doubts, and now we know it's really him. So that's one victory for us."

Wooyoung grinned, rolling over in his bed so that he was facing the pillow, "That's amazing," he kept his voice low so he wouldn't wake San, who was sleeping in the adjacent bed, "So, now that it's confirmed that the message was from Seonghwa-hyung, do I have any further instructions?"

Hongjoong hummed, "Well...not really. Everything still stands as it is. Have you put the chip in San's phone yet?"

"I was going to when you called, hyung. He's asleep now, so yeah," Wooyoung answered.

"Okay, you go do that. Make sure he doesn't go anywhere suspicious, or does anything out of the ordinary. The first sign of anything weird you find, tell me. Have you found anything already?"

"Well, I don't know if it will help, but he did tell me something about Jeong Minhee. Once you send my laptop over, I can put it into my report and send it to you from here," Wooyoung offered.

"Sounds great, Wooyoung-ah," Hongjoong replied, "and just...be careful, okay? Don't get yourself involved in anything without considering the consequences."

"Of course, hyung," Wooyoung agreed, but felt like a hypocrite for doing so, as he was sort of in a weird something-something relationship with San at the moment, and he hadn't considered a thing before jumping into that. He knew that Hongjoong was only talking about the case, but regardless, he couldn't help the little twinge of uneasiness he felt.

"I'll send your laptop to you soon. You can get it from Mingi or Yunho. They're both here anyway."

"Thanks, hyung."

"Bye, Wooyoungie," Hongjoong said, and Wooyoung returned the sentiment before hanging up the call.

He placed his phone under his pillow before getting up quietly, making sure not to jostle around the sheets too much so he wouldn't wake San up.

He rose, padding over to his desk and sliding open the drawer so he could grab the micro tracking chip he had in there. He made sure it was the right one, and for safety's sake, grabbed another chip, one that would record data, and took it with him. It could never hurt to be too careful, right?

It was probably not a very good move to extract information from San's phone, directly invading his privacy and Wooyoung's own morals, but he couldn't help the inkling that something was amiss. It couldn't possibly be true that San had absolutely nothing to hide. Maybe there was some stuff that he didn't think would be significant, but had an effect on the case, stuff that he had missed out while talking to Wooyoung. If there was anything like that, by hacking into his phone, Wooyoung would know it.

So he ignored the tightness in chest at his own blatant disregard for San's trust, and walked back over to the nightstand to take San's phone and move to his desk to sit down and get to work, planting both the chips into the back of his phone.

Beads of sweat gathered on his brow as he worked, more out of nervousness than heat. He finished his work with deft, steady fingers, heart racing in his chest. The only light he had to accompany him was the dim study lamp on his desk.

The moment he was done, he wasted no time in wiping down the phone, clearing it of any grease and his fingerprints, before taking it back to the nightstand and placing it there as it had been before. San was still blissfully sleeping, light breaths audible in the silence of the night.

Wooyoung allowed himself to lean forward and run a hand through San's soft hair, caressing the strands from where the turquoise was fading away into black, a fond smile unconsciously working its way onto his face as he looked down at the sleeping boy.

San sighed in his sleep, puffing out a breath from his nose as he relaxed into Wooyoung's touch, leaning into him like a kitten. Wooyoung almost expected him to purr as he nuzzled against his palm unconsciously.

Wooyoung inhaled deeply, wondering when it was that his heart had become so weak for the man sleeping in front of him.

He hadn't ever expected that he'd fall so hard and so fast. But now, the mere thought of anything happening to San caused his blood to boil and his heart to clench with fright and protectiveness.

He didn't just like San, no. It was probably deeper than a simple crush by now. He wasn't deep enough to call it _love_ yet, but he was probably- no- _definitely_ getting there.

Usually, this would be the point where he vented to Yeosang, poured out all his frustrations and feelings and talked and talked and talked until his throat was dried up and his heart was light and free, but he couldn't do that now.

Because Yeosang was away from him, in a dark room, tied up and probably terrified, and Wooyoung's eyes welled up a little at the thought, that he was sleeping comfortably in his own bed, while Yeosang suffered by himself. And all for...what? San? He wasn't even sure.

And in the middle of all of this, Wooyoung had had the audacity to secretly house someone, without telling his dear roommate and best friend. He was an idiot.

He sniffed, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, before petting through San's hair one last time and going back to his own bed. Moonlight filtered through the blinds as he fell onto his mattress facing the ceiling, and closed his eyes.

He didn't sleep for a long time. A stray tear made its way down his cheek. He pretended like he was fine. He pretended like he didn't miss his best friend through every waking moment. He pretended like Hongjoong wasn't working late nights, maybe even the whole night, on an assignment that had been given to _him_ in the first place.

He pretended like he wasn't rapidly falling in love with the man in the bed next to his, and finally fell asleep to the sound of his own breaths, harsh in his ears.

*****

Wooyoung woke up later than usual, rubbing his tired eyes as he blinked himself awake, eyes adjusting to the bright light.

The brightness of the rays meant that it was probably past nine or ten. A quick glance at the clock told him that it was around ten thirty am, and he he yawned as he forced himself to get up and walk to the bathroom to brush his teeth and shower.

San didn't seem to be in bed, so Wooyoung assumed he must be doing something in the living room, and then realised that he would've probably already left for college, considering the time.

He finished up his shower quickly, putting on some comfortable clothes, a pleasant changed compared to his work clothes that were heavy and made him sweat easily. 

He cleared his throat, absently cracking his knuckles as he sauntered to the kitchen to get himself some cereal.

What he didn't expect, was to be faced with San's back, the boy humming softly as he walked around the room like he'd been there forever, putting bread into the toaster.

"What- what are you doing?" Wooyoung questioned, and only then did San seem to notice his presence.

"Oh, hey," he greeted, smiling brightly, "I wanted to do something nice for you, so I made breakfast"

Wooyoung was taken aback as he walked closer, "That's....random."

San shrugged, "Oh, I know my way around here now. Honestly, I'm here more often than you are, so I thought I could make us sandwiches and coffee."

Something in the bottom of Wooyoung's stomach fluttered, and it wasn't hunger. He'd never been...cared for like this. Maybe by his mom, but that was different. San was actually making them breakfast and wearing Wooyoung's worn out apron and having the biggest smile on his beautiful face, and Wooyoung just couldn't hold himself back.

"You're so cute," he commented, moving closer to grab San by his hips and pull him in, "Come here," he cooed before leaning forward to press their lips together, kissing languidly for a few seconds before they were interrupted by the beep of the toaster.

Wooyoung pouted when San pulled away from him, reluctantly letting him out of his embrace to turn off the toaster and get the slices out, Wooyoung helping him by getting a plate and basically being his metaphorical left hand.

"Sannie," Wooyoung called as he placed the slices on plates for both of them,and took them to the table, "Come here for a sec."

San hummed and came over to Wooyoung's side, "What's up?"

Wooyoung reached forward to inspect San's cast, "I think this is healing well. You should be totally fine in another two or three weeks."

San beamed, "Thank goodness. I was getting tired of using my right hand for everything."

Wooyoung smiled, "Let's eat?"

"Yeah."

They ate quietly, finishing up quickly, and leaving the dishes in the sink to deal with later. Wooyoung chugged down a tall glass of water, stomach full and content.

"Hey, don't you have classes today?"

San nodded, "Yeah, but I only have three. And they're all after one. So I have continuous classes from one to four thirty. I should be back by five."

"Hmm, so you going to catch up on your work now?"

San nodded, "I already missed a few days. I gotta catch up. Plus, I also missed my shift at the library yesterday."

"Your...shift?"

"Oh, yeah. I work at my college library four days a week as an assistant. It isn't much, but it pays enough, I guess. My mom sometimes helps me cover my expenses, but for a temp job, it isn't too bad. I also did this modelling thing, for a while. I stopped doing that, though, because it became difficult to model with bruises everywhere."

Wooyoung made a soft sound and walked towards San, wrapping his arms around his neck, "I promise you won't have bruises anymore, Sannie," he murmured softly, "I'll make sure you stay unhurt. And if anyone tries to get in the way of that, they'll have me to deal with."

San smiled at him, "Thank you," his own hands rested on Wooyoung's waist, his left sporting the dark blue plaster cast, "You're really sweet," he complimented.

Wooyoung captured San's lips in a short kiss, "You deserve it," he mumbled against San's coffee-flavoured mouth.

San pulled away, hand caressing Wooyoung's side as he smiled gratefully at him, "I'll- I'll get to work, now?"

"Hmm," Wooyoung allowed San to turn around, and in a cheeky move, landed a soft smack to his bottom as he walked away, winking at San when the older whined at him.

Wooyoung followed San's back with a fond smile, before going to the kitchen to finish up the dishes and put away everything.

When he was done with tthe basic everyday chores, he shouted to San that he would be right back and left the apartment, walking to Yunho and Mingi's place to retrieve his laptop.

Mingi handed it to him with an amiable smile, "Hongjoong-hyung told me to remind you to send over whatever info you have about San."

Wooyoung nodded, taing the laptop and charger from his taller friend, "I'll send it in an hour or so. I can email my report to him as well. I'm planning to worm something more out of Sannie today, since I've planted a tracking a chip and a data collecting chip in his phone. It's connected to my personal phone, but I can easily give access to my laptop."

Mingi nodded, "Okay, that's great. Do you think he's hiding something, though?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "Well, we do know that whoever these people are, they're after San. And if he's really as innocent as he seems, I don't see why they'd want anything to do with him, you know?"

Mingi nodded, "I know what you mean. There's definitely something else going on with him that he isn't telling you about, or at the very least something that he doesn't know himself."

Wooyoung hummed, "I had considered the possibility that he doesn't know himself, but it never hurts to be thorough, right?"

"Right," Mingi agreed, "So you keep working on that, and I'll go to HQ now. I'll see you later?"

"Hmm," and with that, Wooyoung nodded at Mingi and turned around, walking back to his own apartment.

He setup his laptop at his desk, sitting down comfortably with his legs stretched out. San was working in the living room, writing something hurriedly in a thick notebook, catching up on his work before he ahd to leave for college.

Wooyoung got to work, adding the incident he'd heard about from San, the one in which Jeong Minhee had hurt him, into his report. He saved the edited file, and mailed it to Hongjoong, making sure it was confidential before closing the tab. He opened a different window to download a quick, ten minute update, before checking his phone for the app he was using to track the chip in San's phone.

He received a notification that the calibration process was complete, and he metally cheered as his laptop finished the update right then, ready for use. He downloaded the desktop version of the app, connecting it to his phone, and voila, he was done.

He now had full access to all the files on San's phone, saved passwords, and even formerly deleted files. He also had a 24x7 location tracker in place, which meant that wherever San was, and whatever he did on his phone, Wooyoung would know.

He nodded to himself as he scrolled through the files aimlessly. He started checking them slowly, not wanting to miss out on anything that might be useful.

Every single part of his brain screamed at him then, saying that it was a terrible idea to go through with this, but he ignored it, instead choosing to obey the orders he'd been given.

And those, explicitly stated that he had to take whatever measures were needed, to find out information about the boy he liked, without letting him know that he was being spied on. 

Even if it meant betraying the only man- excluding his colleagues- whom he felt like he could trust with his whole heart.

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof so what did you guys think of these developments?? Did it answer some of your questions?? 
> 
> Comment down below, leave kudos and subscribe!!😁😁 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He felt San lean over the back of his shoulder, his breah ghosting across Wooyoung's nape and left ear.
> 
> "Hey," he whispered.
> 
> Wooyoung shivered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo people!! 
> 
> I'm back with chapter 11!!! 😁 I can't even believe that this fic has almost 4k hits and over 100 comments, omg🤭🤭 thank you guys so much 😵😵😵 
> 
> Annyway, here's another chapter, and I hope this one turns out good!! 😁 😁 Let me know what you think in the comments, leave kudos, and subscribe to follow the story!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

It was weird.

Waking up in the morning and seeing someone other than Yeosang, was weird.

Oh, and of course, the fact that said person made it a point to kiss him awake almost every day.

It was one of those days, when the first sensation Wooyoung experienced was one of San's soft lips moving atop his, pulling him out of his sleep with a smile.

Wooyoung hummed into San's mouth as he awoke, breathing through his nose; his arms raised to pull San closer by the neck, until the older was hovering above him, balancing himself by his knees on either side of Wooyoung's highs.

San pulled away from the kiss, sunshine smile lighting up his whole face and dimples boring into his cheeks, "Hi."

Wooyoung giggled, "Hey."

San pecked him on the mouth once more, "I'm in a good mood today."

Wooyoung smiled, brushing San's hair back from his forehead, "Yeah? Any specific reason?"

San shrugged, putting all of his weight on Wooyoung's body. It really wasn't much, considering how thin he was, "Not really. I don't have classes today, and only one paper to do, so I can be jobless," he exclaimed, cutely pecking Wooyoung on the nose.

The younger chuckled at his adorable behaviour, "If you're jobless, then how about you help me with my work? It's Saturday, right?"

San nodded eagerly, "So maybe I can finally see what it is that you do," he said, "You've been very secretive about your job."

Wooyoung hummed, "Well, it comes from being a _secret_ agent, you know. Being secretive is literally in my job description."

San puffed out an amused breath of air, palm teasing across the bare strip of skin exposed by Wooyoung's shirt having ridden up in his sleep, "Funny," he quipped with a crooked, dimpled smile.

"Don't I know it," Wooyoung grinned at the eye roll San gave him in response, "Now get off me, I have to brush my teeth and shower. I probably stink."

San leaned down to kiss him again, "Hmm," he mumbled against Wooyoung's lips, "Kissing you feels great, but you really do stink."

Wooyoung pulled away, huffing, "Asshole."

San winked, getting up using his right hand, and stood next to the bed, "But you like it."

"I do."

*****

It was odd, being so domestic with San. They'd gotten strangely comfortable with each other, used to each other's presence hovering around whenever they got up to something or the other.

Wooyoung had gotten used to the way San tended to hum softly when he concentrated, tunes that sounded uncoordinated and yet beautiful at the same time. He had become accustomed to San's random bouts of affection, that had no reason whatsoever. He'd taken to returning those gestures, too- a little kiss here, and a fond smile there- it never hurt to be _too_ clingy. Especially not with San.

It was easy. It was..... _right._

That kind of freaked him out.

Wooyoung had been organising his thoughts while he worked, sorting out the files that he'd recovered from San's phone. He hadn't found anything of interest, and had come to a consensus that San was probably clueless, and whatever it was that those people wanted him for, he wasn't aware of it.

He hurriedly closed the tab when San walked into the room, carrying a juice box in his right hand and a straw placed between his lips, making him look too graceful for someone who was just drinking juice.

San pulled off the straw with a soft pop, "What you upto?" He questioned, walking towards Wooyoung's desk and standing behind him, "Anything I could help with?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "Not really. That stuff is confidential. But I guess you could-" he heaved a pile of papers from the side of his desk- "sort these out by page number. My stupid colleague messed everything up."

"What is it?" San walked over to the corner of the room to throw away the empty juice box before coming back to Wooyoung's side.

"It's just an autopsy report. Don't bother what's in it, just a lot of medical nonsense. Your job is just to sort it out. Can you do that for me?"

San nodded, "Sure. Can you just keep it on the bed? Then I can work with one hand."

Wooyoung smiled, "Okay," he complied, dropping the stack of papers on Yeosang's bed before turning back to his desk and opening his work email to check if there was anything he had to do.

He heard San begin to hum behind him, and smiled unconsciously, heart doing a tiny little somersault in his chest.

They worked in silence, simply enjoying each other's presence without talking. At one point, San transitioned from humming to actually singing. It was some English song that Wooyoung didn't know, but it was pretty all the same. He had a really attractive voice, and Wooyoung told him so, for which he'd received a shy, bashful smile in return.

The exchange had been followed by ten minutes or so of comfortable silence, before Wooyoung heard San stand, papers all sorted out on the bed, and approach him from behind.

He didn't bother about San's presence behind him, continuing to work in silence, until he felt San lean down, his breah ghosting across Wooyoung's nape and left ear.

"Hey," San whispered.

Wooyoung tried to hide the shiver that passed through him, "What?"

San leaned closer, mouth finding a home on the side of Wooyoung's neck, leaving little butterfly kisses that made his stomach lurch in excitement, "How busy are you on a scale of one to ten?" He murmured.

Wooyoung shrugged, "A five" he unconsciously leaned into San's gentle kisses across his nape, turning him on and soothing him at the same time.

"Hmm, I could work with that," San breathed, and Wooyoung let out a gasp when the older's mouth latched onto his skin harshly, sucking and licking to leave a hickey there.

"Sannie," he warned, voice shaky despite his insistence, "I have to work."

"You can work after," San suggested, lips mapping the shell of Wooyoung's ear, "C'mon, Young-ah."

Wooyoung gulped, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, and suppressed the arousal building in his stomach at San's obvious attempt to get him into bed, "I just need two or three hours, Sannie. After that I can give you all my attention."

San's right arm wound around his shoulders, coming to rest on his chest, "But what if I want your attention now?" He breathed hotly into Wooyoung's ear, "You can do your work after, I promise."

And Wooyoung wanted to protest, he _did_ , but then San turned his chair around for him and slid into his lap, and Wooyoung would've sworn that he felt his his brain _shut down_ at the way San was looking at him.

Because no one had ever looked at him like _that_ before.

Like they wanted to completely ravish him.

He counted seven torturous seconds in his head, and just hissed, "Screw it," Before grabbing San's shoulders and pulling him into a harsh kiss.

San had to muffle his sound of surprise into Wooyoung's mouth, taken aback by the latter's sudden assertiveness. He relaxed soon enough, though, and began to reciprocate, threading his fingers into Wooyoung's longish hair.

The younger hadn't gotten it cut in a while, and it was becoming a little longer than he was used to, completely covering his ears, and long enough to make into a ponytail or manbun, like he did sometimes.

Wooyoung let a little whine escape his throat when San pulled at his hair, encouraging him to lean back and kiss him deeper. The older pulled back a little, looking down at him with dark eyes, "Wooyoung-ah."

"Hm?"

"Don't ever cut your hair," he breathed, before surging forward to kiss Wooyoung again, his hand tugging and caressing and petting Wooyoung's hair as he curled his tongue into his mouth in a way that made Wooyoung melt.

"Okay," Wooyoung agreed, wrapping both arms around San and pulling him closer, till they were chest-to-chest, and all semblance of space between them was destroyed.

They kissed that way for a few minutes, mouths becoming swollen and hotter and bolder, until Wooyoung was biting across San's bottom lip gently, pulling little sounds from his lips.

San let out a particularly delicious moan when Wooyoung placed both hands on his waist and encouraged him to roll his hips down, grinding against Wooyoung. The younger pulled away from San's lips, trailing kisses down to his neck and placing a bruise on his throat right next to the beautiful constellation of freckles there.

"You know," Wooyoung began, "They say freckles are really marks of kisses from angels. And you have a lot of them," he nosed across said freckles, having a first-row seat to watching San's neck and cheeks turn pink at his comment.

San was about to reply, but then Wooyoung rolled his hips up to match his pace and he cut himself off with a groan, hand tightening its grip in Wooyoung's hair.

The latter guided San off his lap, standing up and walking them over to his bed before pushing San to lie down, following on top of him. Wooyoung breathed heavily, chest rising and falling as he balanced himself on his arms, looking down at a flushed San.

San arched up, intentions obvious, and Wooyoung conceded, kissing him again and again and again until they were both breathless and wound up and high on the taste of each other's lips.

"Why are we still wearing so many clothes?" San asked after a few minutes, and Wooyoung chuckled, before kneeling and stripping off his own t shirt and shorts at one go. He made quick work of San's clothes as well, until they were both fully naked, and leaned down again, lips brushing over the constellation on San's neck. San moaned when Wooyoung's hands tightened on his hips and their cocks brushed against each other.

"Sannie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I...can we try something?"

San looked at the other, innocent curiousity lighting up his orbs, "What is it?"

Wooyoung took a deep breath before posing the idea, unsure of how it would be received, "Can I ride you?"

San's eyes widened, pupils dilating on instinct as he swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat, "You really want to?"

Wooyoung nodded, no longer shy to admit what he wanted, "Yes."

San made a sound of disbelief and moved his hand to Wooyoung's bare back, tracing aimless patterns across the skin, "Wow," he whispered, mostly to himself, "Yeah, okay."

Wooyoung smiled when San agreed, and pecked his lips innocently, once, before moving to grab the stuff he needed from the nightstand, placing the bottle on San's chest and showing him the condom, "This your size?"

San nodded, "We're about the same, aren't we?"

"Hm, that is why I was okay with bottoming," Wooyoung countered, "Cause I knew I'd have condoms your size."

San smiled at him and pulled him closer on top of himself, lips pressing against his pulse gently, "I can't leave marks on you, can I?"

Wooyoung pouted, "Sorry, I got work. They'd be suspicious as fuck."

San hummed, "That's alright. I figured you would say that."

Wooyoung seated himself more comfortably on San's thighs, "So, uh, do you want to do it or...watch me do it?" He questioned, holding up the bottle of lube with obvious intentions.

San placed his hand on Wooyoung's bare hip, "What do _you_ want? 'cause, if I do it for you, I only have one functioning hand, and it might be a little difficult."

Wooyoung nodded, "Yeah, okay. You can just watch me, then," he replied, shifting around a little to get himself more comfortable before drizzling the lube onto his fingers and leaning down.

He let his head hang as he reached back and pushed one finger into himself, muffling his sigh into San's throat, hair tickling his chin.

All the while, San's hand squeezed his hip gently, and he felt just the hint of a kiss on the top of his head.

It was getting too romantic, too fast, and Wooyoung wasn't sure if he was okay with that.

So he raised his head and captured San's lips in a kiss that could only be described as _dirty_ , muffling little sounds of pleasure into each other's mouths.

He got to two fingers, and was scissoring them to open himself up further, when just the tip of his middle finger brushed against the bundle of nerves inside him, sending a jolt of pleasure through his veins, "Fuck-" he hissed, aiming for that spot again.

Unfortunately, he didn't manage to reach that place, and just gave up on trying with a grunt, pushing a third finger into himself as he rutted against San's cock on his stomach, leaking precome between them.

"You good?" San asked when Wooyoung let out a pained whine at the stretch, biting his lip while he worked himself open.

"Yeah, no, I'm fine," Wooyoung assured, "just...a little uncomfortable."

San moved the hand from Wooyoung's hip to his ass, dipping in between the cleft and spreading him a little wider open with his fingers, "Does this help?"

Wooyoung's mouth fell open, and he barely registered the fact that he was probably drooling into San's neck, "It helps," he breathed, "a lot, thanks."

He managed to brush over his prostate another time, before he decided it was enough and removed his own fingers from inside him, wiping them on the sheets.

San's hand trailed up to Wooyoung's jaw, tilting his head to kiss him softly, "You ready?"

Wooyoung hummed against San's lips, and pulled away to tear open the packet and roll the condom over San' erect length, before lining himself up. He sank down, letting gravity do most of the work, until he was completely seated on the older's lap, panting softly and sweating from his brow.

"Wow, _shit_ \- Wooyoung... you're- _wow_ -" San groaned out, clearly holding himself back from giving into his urges and thrusting upwards.

Wooyoung moaned when he shifted a little and San sank even deeper inside of him, just shy of brushing agaisnt the spot that made him see stars, "Sannie," he gasped, "How you feeling?"

San smiled at him, little dimples indenting his cheeks, "Amazing," he whispered in awe, "You're amazing."

Wooyoung smiled back, leaning forward as he began to roll his hips slowly, grinding in small circles until he was sure he could go a little faster.

After a few minutes, he picked up the pace, placing both hands on San's chest to hold himself up, beginning to bounce up and down on San's lap eagerly, " _Fuck_ \- San, you're so hot-" he managed in between moans, "You feel so good-"

San shifted under him, bringing his hand to Wooyoung's hip and guiding his movements. Wooyoung jerked at the sudden change in angle, eyes fluttering shut as he panted breathlessly, "Fuck!" He cried out, rolling his hips down harder, faster.

Wooyoung was in the seventh heaven. San was just big enough to be able to hit his prostate on every other thrust, pushing him towards the edge faster than he thought he could. Everytime he rolled his hips down, a stab of pleasure ran through his body, lighting up his nerve endings and setting his very being on fire, only to spur him on further.

The sight of San under him did nothing to quell his lust, the sweaty, hard lines of muscle and flushed cheeks, looking right at him with those dark, feline eyes, making Wooyoung even more delirious in his haze.

He moaned out loud, higher pitch beautifully accenting San's own breathy, raspy tone as he let little sounds escape his swollen lips, bitten red by Wooyoung's harsh kisses.

He couldn't help leaning down for another, tongues curling around each other and painting each other's mouths with saliva, completely debauched and unhinged in their pleasure.

"San-" Wooyoung breathed into his mouth, hips maintaining their pace, "-oh my _god_ , Sannie-"

"You're gorgeous," San rasped between messy kisses, "Wooyoung-ah, you're so beautiful," his hand had snuck its way into Wooyoung's hair again, brushing the long strands from his sweat-slicked forehead and tugging just the right way, making Wooyoung more and more desperate.

Wooyoung's toes curled with pleasure, cheeks and neck flushed a deep crimson, "I'm so close."

"Yeah? Me too," San replied, "You- you think you can come untouched?"

Wooyoung nodded quickly, biting his own lip as his hips stuttered in their pace, thighs burning from effort, "Yeah, I can, I'm..."

And then all it took was one sharp tug at his hair, one thrust aimed at the right spot, for Wooyoung to give in, falling over the edge with a pathetic, desperate moan of San's name, coming onto both their stomachs, painting them white.

San grunted, fisting Wooyoung's hair as he came right after, filling up the condom with one last thrust upwards, Wooyoung's moans echoing in his ears the whole time.

Their heavy breaths filled the room for a while, the whole place reeking of sweat and sex.

Wooyoung finally found his voice after a few moments, "Wow."

San chuckled, "Wow indeed."

The younger managed to move, pulling away so San slipped out of him, before he tied off the used condom and threw it in the trash can.

"You know, if I were alone, I'd have completed a _lot_ of work by now," Wooyoung quipped, rolling over to lie facing the ceiling, despite how gross he felt.

San wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into his side, "Well," he said, "I could still help you out, if you want."

Wooyoung smiled, turning his head just the slightest bit to kiss San's cheek softly, "Thanks, but you can't. Let's clean up first, and then you can go work on your paper or something," he said, but the sentence was immediately followed by his hollow stomach deciding to make itself known with a growl, "or we could eat first, and _then_ work."

San giggled, nudging Wooyoung in the side with his cast, "You can shower if you want. I'll just wipe myself down and go see if there's anything in the fridge."

Wooyoung nodded, "I'll probably just wash up a bit. Not gonna shower, but like clean myself up. We should be having pizza in the fridge, by the way, but if not, you have my permission to order fried chicken."

San hummed in response, moving a little to let Wooyoung get up and walk to the other side of the room to get the shirt he was wearing before, with a different pair of shorts, and walk into the bathroom.

*****

Wooyoung shoved another mouthful of chicken into his mouth, chewing while staring intently at his phone.

San was sitting across from him, also eating, but Wooyoung was too preoccupied in his own stuff, as he was expecting a text from Yunho, with all the curent updates.

They had two weeks to go before the infiltration, but Wooyoung was already getting highly sick of it.

It was terrible, just waiting around and doing simple, everyday jobs while his best friend and hyung were trapped in some creepy old warehouse. But Seonghwa had clearly said that they mustn't do anything before then, and that trying anything earlier would definitely complicate things.

He knew he should trust Seonghwa, of course he knew that, but....it was still getting extremely frustrating, to wait while the action happened elsewhere. Who knew what those people, whoever the fuck they were, were planning. Who knew what they would do to Yeosang. Who knew what would happen if Seonghwa were discovered.

He shuddered at the thought, but it also gave him even more adrenaline, forcing him to finish eating at the speed of a freight train before standing up, still staring at his phone as he walked to the kitchen to put away his bowl and other things.

As if on cue, the moment he washed his hands and picked up his phone again, it pinged, and a text came through.

It was from Yunho.

* _Are you free? Let me call you._ *

Wooyoung texted back a * _sure_ *, and in a few seconds, his phone rang. He picked it up.

"Yunho?"

"Hey, Wooyoung-ah. Listen, I have a few things to tell you. The preliminary autopsy results revealed that Minhee was killed by some poison from Australia, something that you wouldn't get around here. It coincides with the poison you found in Kim Kyunghun's bag, and all the rings we procured and checked also confirmed these results."

Wooyoung frowned, "Australian? But that means...."

Yunho sighed audibly, "Yeah, it means that whoever is the head of this thing, or at least the person who deals with the rings, definitely has connections from Australia, or is an Australian him or herself. That's where you come in."

"What should I do?"

"Well, so far, the three people we've managed to capture or kill have all been somehow connected by family, right? So Hongjoong-hyung told me to tell you to do background checks in detail about each of their known family members. Oh, and he asked if there's anything interesting from San."

Wooyoung shook his head even though Yunho wouldn't be able to see it, "No, nothing of significance so far. The chip I've planted in his phone is smooth, it's not interfering with anything, and he doesn't have any suspicious files of any kind, from what I've seen so far. I'll work on it a little further, though, and I'll let you know if I find anything."

Yunho hummed, "Hmm, okay. You do that. And just one more thing. Kim Kyungran's condition has worsened considerably. She's refusing to talk to anyone, and she refused to eat yesterday. She's on pills in the mental ward, but that seems to be all she's willing to eat. In a way, she's determined to kill herself. So I think she's kind of ruled out as a source of information, for now at least."

"Gosh, this thing keeps twisting itself around, huh?" Wooyoung commented, exasperated, "By the way, have the cameras been placed around that warehouse? You told me that you were going to do that yesterday, right?"

"Yeah, we've done that. But no one's come out or gone in since yesterday. We're having Jongho and Soobin monitor the cameras in shifts."

"Good."

"Okay, Wooyoung, you take care, all right?"

"Okay," Wooyoung answered, "You too. Bye."

"Buh-bye."

He hung up, and took the phone with him as he went back to the bedroom. He kept the phone down on his desk, and turned to see San sitting on the bed, scrolling through his own phone.

If he had to do his work, he needed San out of the room. Otherwise he'd have to take his laptop to the living room.

"Sannie?"

"Yeah?" He looked up at Wooyoung curiously.

"I'm gonna just go to the living room and do my work, okay? Just stay here and do whatever."

San nodded, "Okay, but you owe me something."

"What?"

Sam grinned suddenly, showing off pretty dimples, "Gimme a kiss, and I'll let you go," he demanded in baby language, making grabby hands at Wooyoung.

The younger giggled, taken aback by San's sudden cuteness. He indulged him anyway, walking across the room to leave a kiss on San's lips, and one on his cheek for good measure, before leaning up, "You're like a child," he chuckled.

San pouted, "Am I at least a cute child?" He was still speaking in that fake baby voice of his, and Wooyoung found it precious despite himself.

He ruffled San's hair fondly, "You're the cutest child," he cooed, and San burst into spontaneous laughter, unable to hold onto his baby facade, boyish laugh breaking through.

Wooyoung grinned, and shot playful finger guns at San, before grabbing his stuff and walking to the living room, settling down on the floor to do his work.

Background checks on the family mambers, hm?

He began going through the usual steps, making sure everything was blocked from outside interfering servers before he began working.

He already had some information on the families of the three convicts.

'Kim Kyungran-  
Family-  
Mother: Kim Yoona (deceased)  
Father: Kim Ethan  
Spouse: Kim Kyunghun (deceased)  
Siblings: None'

'Jeong Minhee-  
Family:  
Parents: Unknown  
Siblings: Kim Kyunghun (deceased)  
Spouse: None'

'Kim Kyunghun (deceased)-  
Family:  
Parents: Unknown  
Siblings: Jeong Minhee (information from Jeong Minhee's BGC)  
Spouse: Kim Kyungran'

Clearly, the three of them were connected. Reading through the names, he decided that doing background checks on the unfamiliar ones was the first thing he had to do.

Kim Ethan- obviously not a Korean name- drew his attention, so he decided that he would look into that after he was done checking out the name Kim Yoona.

He began to do his research, all the things he'd learnt about data collection and information analysis coming back to him, reminding him of his training days when he'd sit with Yeosang for hours and do background checks on each other, their friends, and their seniors, and they'd go around and check if the information they'd collected was accurate or not.

It had actually helped a lot, being able to practise on willing people to hone their skills and enhance their abilities in different fields. Background checks weren't the only thing they'd tested out on their friends, countless hours of physical training and building muscle leading to playful, and yet, competitive fights between them. Yeosang and he had been pretty much attached at the hip ever since the older boy had arrived in Seoul.

They'd found a comfort in each other, and Wooyoung, ever the social butterfly, had taken the somewhat shy Yeosang under his wing and made friends easily. They'd shared popsicles on the beach and fried chicken in street stalls. They'd been sick together afterwards, and took turns making soup for the other when one felt too worn out to get out of bed. They'd given each other pep talks before their first solo and group missions, and they'd cheered each other on through every second of it.

When Yeosang had gone through a bad breakup due to his long-distance relationship back in Pohang, Wooyoung had been there through it all, through the nights of complaining and the fits of rage and even the ice cream phase. Similarly, when Wooyoung had finally realised that he was gay, Yeosang hadn't teased him, or made fun of him at all. He'd simply told him that it was fine, and that he was still an amazing person and had to embrace it. He'd probably been the most understanding of Wooyoung's struggles with insecurity after rejection, and despite the fact that the others had been there too, Yeosang had held a special place in his life.

They'd been scolded together on their first failed mission, and when Wooyoung had cried, Yeosang cried with him, a rare occurrence if there ever was one.

And then there had been the crush phase. Just a while after their first failed mission, Wooyoung had started to develop other-than-platonic feelings for his best friend. It wasn't anything more than a simple school-boy-type crush, but the memory of it was still a fond one to him, as it had been his first, purely innocent, crush on a boy. It had gone away soon, though, feelings of fondness easily translated and changed from those of a crush to simple, brotherly affection.

And yeah, they were brothers.

Of course, he had Yunho and Mingi and Yeonjun and all the others, but...Yeosang was Yeosang.

They'd always been close, but now that Yeosang wasn't with him, now that he could be in real danger....Wooyoung felt like he'd failed as a best friend, as a brother, as a _partner_.

He vowed then, that no matter what happened, he would make sure Yeosang got out of this. He would make sure that Yeosang came back to him, and they would go out on missions together again, they would gossip about everything and nothing again, they would be _them_ again.

_Yeosang-ah, be safe._

_Yeosang-ah don't give up on me._

_Yeosang-ah, I'll get you out of this mess that I put you in, I promise._

*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof what'd you guys think of that?? Did it match your expectations for where this story was going? No? Let me know in the comments!! 
> 
> Thanks again for all your amazing support, and honestly, only the comments from you guys motivate me to write and update this fast lol, so leave me some more down below!! 😜 
> 
> What was your favourite chapter so far?? 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeonjun clicked around the screen a few more times, before exhaling deeply, "It's...it's a foreign IP address."
> 
> "So that means....?"
> 
> "It means he isn't exactly locking something away on his own phone, but...someone else is. Someone has a bug in San's phone, and it seems to be doing exactly what yours is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! 
> 
> Okay so life be kicking my ass and my way to deal with that is to write, so I'm updating fast af lol 😂 whatevs don't judge me my lameass has legit only this to hold myself up (and ateez ofc) (and your supportive comments help a ton as well 🤭)
> 
> Anyways, I hope this chapter turns out good!!😁 I'm so thankful for all the support so far, and I hope you guys keep following this story!! 
> 
> Leave comments, kudos, and subscribe!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Kim Yoona.

No known relatives except her spouse and children. Birth certificate says she was born in Seoul. Studied engineering in KAIST University on scholarship. Dropped out in her second year and got married young. Had one daughter. Died by her own hand, when her daughter, Kyungran, was sixteen.

Seemed like a weird story; something was off, surely, but the problem was, Wooyoung had no idea what. None at all.

So he had decided he'd go through Kim Ethan's records as well, and do some more research, before he came to a conclusion.

Kim Ethan.

...

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

His name was all that Wooyoung was able to find. It was completely crazy. It was like...the guy had wiped himself off the map completely. Wooyoung had nothing to go off of, and no leads to look into, because the only piece of information he found was that...he was half Australian, and the father of Kim Kyungran. 

Well, that pretty much made him the number one suspect, who simply _had_ to be investigated.

But the problem was...there was nothing to investigate about him. He was a ghost of a person, with no identity, no records, no social media, and seemingly no accessible birth certificate either.

It was pretty much driving him crazy, and he'd been working for ages now, on his laptop for nearly six hours, and his eyes were beginning to ache and water a little.

He yawned, and stretched his arms above his head, blinking rapidly to reduce the throb in his eyes. He realised that he probably had to eat something if he and to maintain some energy to keep working, and went to his kitchen to make a sandwich for himself, and on second thought, whipped up one for San as well.

Once they were done, he plated them and took both of them to his room, where San was seated at his desk, working on his own, now repaired, laptop, hand in the cast resting on the desk beside him.

"Hey, you hungry?" Wooyoung asked, holding out one of the plates.

San turned, and his eyes lit up at the sight of Wooyoung, or maybe it was just because he was bringing him food, but it was cute either way, "Yeah, that looks great," he said, turning in the chair and gratefully accepting the plate from Wooyoung, his right hand moving to rest on his own lap instead, "Thanks. I didn't even know I was hungry till I saw food."

Wooyoung chuckled, taking San's amiability as an invitation to sit. He sat on the edge of Yeosang's bed, keeping the plate on his lap as he ate, "You were working?"

San nodded, swallowing a mouthful of cheese and tomatoes, "Yeah, I'm doing this algorithm, where you generate a code that lets you find anything from a given database, based on AI. You needn't even have any specific info about what you're looking for, unlike usual programming, and it's enough if you have some vague details, because the AI deals with the rest for you," he explained, before stopping himself, "Sorry, you probably find this stuff boring."

Wooyoung shook his head, "No, this actually seems interesting. And it kinda sounds like it could be useful for our case right now. Go on," he urged, gesturing for San to continue.

San grinned, "Really? That's cool. Okay then, um, well, it's pretty much just what I told you. So, for example, if you wanna look for a particular bar in Korea that you've been to before, and you don't know where it is or what it's called, you could just enter the kind of drinks you had there, or the vague area that you remember, and from a given database, in this case, bars in South Korea, it'll pinpoint all the various bars that it could be, and then you can find out which one."

"Hmm," Wooyoung raised an eyebrow, swallowing a bite of his sandwich, "So...say, if I were to do this to find information about a specific person from the internet, or even find a particular thing on someone's phone, I can enter it in this program and it will give me the results I want?"

San nodded, "Exactly. You just have to remember to specify what _kind_ of data you require, and you have to provide a tangible database to the computer, or it'll end up in an infinite loop of finding non-existent data, so yeah."

"Wow, that's cool," he admired, "Would you teach me how it works?" He was just shooting for nothing here, and if this program helped him find just the tiniest piece of useful information on Kim Ethan, or even something from the files on San's phone, it would be a blessing.

San beamed, unknowing of Wooyoung's true intentions, "Of course I will. It'll help me understand better as well, which is awesome. Let's finish eating first, and then I'll show you, okay?"

Wooyoung nodded, "Sure."

They ate quickly, and Wooyoung took San's plate from him to put away in the sink. He just rinsed them and kept them on the side, before going back into the room.

San turned and smiled at him, "Come sit," he cocked his head towards the chair that was next to him, and Wooyoung willingly walked over, pushing his hair from his eyes as he sat down.

"So? What have we got here, teacher-nim?" Wooyoung quipped, teasing smile on his face.

San rolled his eyes, "Shut up," he scoffed, before turning to the screen, "Okay, so..."

Wooyoung listened intently as San began to explain, tracing the process right from the basics, even the parts that Wooyoung already knew, but he listened anyway. Maybe because he wanted to be clear about everything, or _maybe_ just because he just liked listening to San talk. Maybe he just loved the sound of his voice, and he didn't care whether San was whispering in Wooyoung's ear that he was beautiful, or if he were talking about his assignments, or even if he were discussing something as trivial as what to eat for dinner. Wooyoung would gladly listen, and he'd absorb every bit of it in his memory.

He placed his chin on his palm, elbow balanced on the desk as he looked back and forth between San and the screen, nodding along at different places, and making his own little comments in between.

About twenty minutes later, Wooyoung felt like he'd gotten the hang of it, and even did a trial run by finding information about his old high school.

"Oh, it worked!" He exclaimed, smiling widely while he looked proudly at the screen that displayed everything he wanted. Finally, he felt like he'd done something worthwhile, like this could actually get him somewhere in the case.

He felt San's gaze on his face, and turned, catching the other's eye, "What?"

San shrugged, "You're just really handsome."

"Wha-" Wooyoung flushed, waving a hand in denial, "Where did that suddenly come from?" He managed, still beet-red from San's unexpected statement.

"Oh, I've always thought that," San admitted coolly, "I just realised that I've never said it to you, and...so I did."

Wooyoung huffed, "Somehow, I clearly remember you mentioning something of the sort when we first met," he teased, flicking Sam's forehead lightly, "Do you remember? You said my face wasn't one you'd forget, hm?"

San chuckled, "Let's just say I've never said anything like that to you after... you know."

Wooyoung gave him a small smile, "I know," he leaned forward a bit, and his hands moved to cup both of San's cheeks, "Come here," he didn't give San any time to resist, and pulled him forwards, until their noses brushed.

San closed the distance, scooting closer in the swivel chair for convenience as he shut his eyes, and kissed Wooyoung innocently, lips finding each other like moths to a flame.

Wooyoung's hands remained on San's face, thumbs caressing his cheekbones gently as they kissed.

Sam pulled back the slightest bit, and Wooyoung's eyes fluttered open, meeting San's own feline ones, "Hey," the older whispered.

"Yeah?"

San leaned forward for another short peck before pulling away again, "Can I ask you something? You can say no if you want."

Wooyoung resisted the urge to call it deja vu, "Hmm?"

"Be my boyfriend."

Wooyoung jerked backwards like he'd been shocked, palms falling from San's face as he did so, "Wha- what?"

San seemed to regret it immediately, flash of hurt passing over his eyes, "I'm- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's okay if you don't want-"

Wooyoung placed a hand over his mouth to shut him up, "...yes, I'll be your boyfriend."

San's eyes widened, "You...will?" He asked from behind Wooyoung's palm.

Wooyoung dropped his hand from San's slightly agape mouth and nodded, contented warmth enveloping his chest as he smiled widely, "Why not? I like you, you like me, and we've worked out fine so far. Like a....test run, you know? Because of the past week or so, we know that we work, that we're great together, so yeah. Now we can...make it official," Wooyoung declared.

San smiled back at him, dimples appearing in his cheeks and eyes disappearing into little crescents, "I guess we're boyfriends, then."

"I guess so "

*****

Wooyoung was a horrible person.

He'd learnt something from San, his _boyfriend_ , and was in the process of using it against him like some kind of hypocrite. Not to mention, he now _had_ a boyfriend, and he was going around being fluffy and cute with said boy while a) 'said boy' wasn't aware that Wooyoung was invading his privacy, and b) his best friend was trapped somewhere in some creepy warehouse.

In conclusion, Jung Wooyoung wins the title of 'Dick of the Year', with no close seconds.

He sighed, pushing away the negative thoughts as he worked, using San's own program to track down stuff from his phone.

He first tried finding something related to SCAR. It came up as null, and so did other similar searches like those about Kim Kyunghun, Kim Kyungran and Jeong Minhee. Even San's father's number was just saved as 'appa', with no other information. Of course, it wasn't like he could talk to him, but it was probably just the principle that mattered.

He then tried searching for something, anything, that would link the data in the phone to Australia, or Kim Ethan.

_No foreign server interference, no VPN for Australia, just one for the US which seemed benign, and no suspicious contacts either._

Wooyoung groaned, changing the commands another time to see what would happen if he looked for a bug instead, maybe a virus that blocked information, something that would be the least bit off.

He tried getting to a file that was among the results, one without a name, quite a small one, in fact. It seemed absolutely harmless, but when Wooyoung tried, he couldn't get in.

_What?_

That didn't seem right.

Why would a file that was just about the size of a small app be encrypted?

He leaned forward, squinting at the bright light of the screen. It was past midnight, and Wooyoung was at his desk, San fast asleep behind him. He'd been working all day, and the moment San was done with his work, he'd gone to sleep, and Wooyoung had brought his things to his desk to keep working until he had to sleep.

It didn't make sense, though. The fact that a file that small seemed to be blocked by a firewall, one so complex that Wooyoung doubted even San was aware of.

And that was weird.

Because this fact either meant that San was hiding something so well, that he made it impossible to encrypt even by himself, or....

It was someone else's file.

Someone else had planted something in San's phone, and it was interfering with what he could and couldn't access.

He frowned, considering both possibilities, before deciding that there was only one way to be sure.

He grabbed his personal phone, finding a contact and calling. Yeonjun picked up after only two rings, and Wooyoung rose, going out of the room in order to talk to him, "Hello?"

"Wooyoung-ah, what's up? It's really late."

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Wooyoung said guiltily.

"No, not really. I was just reading," came the response.

"Okay then, uh, I have a favour to ask you. It's kind of urgent, so can you work on it for me now?"

"Sure."

"I found this thing while going through San's phone. It's like a- a bug, or a virus or something, maybe. I'm not sure yet, but could you have a look at it for me?" He asked.

"Okay," Yeonjun replied, "sure, I could do that. Do you want to...send it to me or what?"

"No, I'll just come over," Wooyoung replied, "Just in case it is significant, I don't want to be sending it from my system. Plus, San's asleep, he won't know."

"That's fine," Yeonjun answered.

"Okay, see you in five," with that, he hung up the phone, grabbing his laptop, charger and phone, before leaving a quick note to San that said 'brb, gone to deal with something' and leaving the house, walking to Yeonjun and Soobin's place.

He knocked a few times, and Yeonjun opened the door, ushering him inside.

"Hi, Soobin's asleep, we can work in the other room," he said, before leading Wooyoung into the room, pushing some papers to the side so he'd have space to keep his laptop.

Wooyoung set up his stuff, and sat in the chair adjacent to Yeonjun's, and the latter sat down in front of his system, frowning at the screen, "So, what am I looking at?" He asked.

Wooyoung shrugged, "Well, I'm not entirely sure. San showed me this algorithm to find anything I want from a given database, and I learnt it from him, and then I used it on his phone because I'm an asshole boyfriend, and-"

"Wait," Yeonjun interrupted, "did you say boyfriend?"

"Shit," Wooyoung blurted, "okay, please pretend you never heard that. It's new, it only happened today, and, uh..."

Yeonjun smirked at him, "Fine, I won't pry, but be careful, okay? 'Boyfriend' isn't a term taken lightly when you're essentially spying on him."

"Please don't bring it up," Wooyoung groaned, "It's taking enough willpower to do this without saying anything to him, already. Just...tell me what this looks like," he pointed at the screen, at the nameless, encrypted file.

Yeonjun sighed, "Okay, just...be careful," he repeated, before turning to where Wooyoung was pointing, "Gimme a sec," he said, before clicking on the file, only for it to come up as 'password protected'.

"Do you think he saved this himself?" Wooyoung asked, looking at Yeonjun worriedly.

The latter clicked around the screen a few more times, before exhaling deeply, "It's...it's a foreign IP address."

"So that means....?"

"It means your _boyfriend_ isn't exactly locking something away on his own phone, but...someone else is. Someone has a bug in San's phone, and it seems to be doing exactly what yours is, except it's more secure."

"Wait, so someone's planted a chip in his phone, and they see everything in it?"

"Yeah, and if they're tracking it too, then they probably know that San lives here now. Maybe they also know that you have a chip in there too."

Wooyoung furrowed his brows, "Can you tell who did it? Or at least what's in it?"

Yeonjun licked his lips, beginning to click around the screen again, typing and searching for anything he could find, using all the knowledge he'd gained from both learning and experience, "Um, this might take a while," he said, unsure, "Look, I don't think I'm going to be able to get any sleep after this, so I'll keep working on it, and I'll let you know if- no- _when_ I do find something. Is that okay?"

Wooyoung nodded, "Thank you so much," he said, "You're a life-saver."

Yeonjun smiled at him, turning his way a little, "You can go home. Get some sleep. I'll call you tomorrow," he assured.

Wooyoung agreed reluctantly, despite being aware that he probably wasn't going to be able to sleep for a while, and he got up, thanking Yeonjun one more time before leaving, agreeing to pick up his laptop whenever he was done with it.

He walked back to his apartment, and got in, walking to the bedroom. He grabbed the water bottle he kept on his desk and took a long sip, gulping down the soothing, cool liquid. He sighed as he placed the bottle back down and walked over to his own bed, taking his shoes off along the way, intending to fall into bed at once.

He remained standing for a moment longer and turned his head back over his shoulder, sneaking a glance at the sleeping boy behind him.

San seemed... peaceful. Happy. Content. A lot of other words that he probably wouldn't be if he knew the truth. The truth about what Wooyoung was really doing.

The older shifted in his sleep, sighing softly as he curled up a little more, shirt riding up a little and revealing a thin strip of skin.

Wooyoung swallowed thickly, tight feeling in his chest having everything and nothing to do with San.

Gosh, he wished Yeosang were with him right then. He would've known what to do. He always knew what to do.

Wooyoung sighed, giving up trying to resist the pull in his gut, and turned around, crawling into Yeosang's bed instead of his own, sliding up behind San and pulling the covers up over both of them, his arm naturally moving to wrap around the older's mid-section securely.

San stayed fast asleep the whole time, seemingly unaware of him despite the fact that he'd wrapped himself around San in his sleep. He was sure that if it had been him instead, he'd have woken up at once, but San was probably just a heavy sleeper.

He paid no heed to the thought, taking San's lack of response in stride, and curled himself closer, seeking comfort in his warmth, "I'm sorry," he whispered to no one, forcing his eyes to shut despite the image of Yeosang tied up in the dark being burned into the backs of his eyelids, haunting him everytime he tried to rest. Reminding him that every moment of rest he took, was another moment of Yeosang being trapped in that hellhole.

It took him almost an hour, but he finally managed to succumb to the call of Hypnos, falling into a restless sleep with his boyfriend held tightly in his arms. At least, he could still seek physical comfort, if not mental or emotional, from San. At least he could still hug him to sleep, and he could place kisses on his nape in the dark, and he could dream of him, even as he slept, although disturbed.

*****

Wooyoung woke up to the sound of his phone ringing loudly.

He blinked his eyes open, reluctant to let go of the warmth enveloping him on all sides.

Oh.

San.

He reached out over San's body and grabbed his phone from the nightstand, answering it quickly before San woke up from the noise, "Hello?"

"Wooyoung, I found something," Yeonjun said.

The former kept his voice low as he answered, one arm still draped over his sleeping boyfriend, "What is it?"

"Well, what we thought yesterday wasn't exactly right. It's not a bug planted to extract information, exactly. To be honest, it seems to be doing the opposite. As in, it's sort of...storing information in his phone. I still don't know whose it is, or what information it's withholding, but I can definitely say that whatever it's doing, isn't legal," he explained, "These codes and types of passwords were thrown out of the market a long time ago."

"Oh," Wooyoung answered, "Can you find out more? Like...whose bug it is?"

"Definitely, I can," the other affirmed, much Wooyoung's relief, "It will just take a few days. It needs to, like, process. Can you give me the time? I'll have to retain your laptop until then."

"That's fine," he said, "I have Yeosang's spare laptop with me. I can use it until then." They never really 'ran out' of computers, considering how important they were for the job of a secret agent.

"Okay, cool. I'm probably going to get some sleep now, I'll work on it in the afternoon," he informed Wooyoung, and the latter thanked him, before hanging up the call.

Wooyoung kept his phone back on the nightstand, snuggling into San's back, and allowing himself to leave a kiss on the back of his shoulder once, before finally convincing himself to get up and get some work done.

It was a Sunday, but he knew that Hongjoong was probably working that day as well.

It wasn't like crime took a holiday.

So he couldn't either.

*****

Sunday.

Monday.

Tuesday.

Wednesday.

Thursday.

Nothing. Over five days, there had been no developments, except maybe San's contractor finally responding to him about the house repairs. Apparently, it would be done in three weeks, tops. 

Wooyoung knew that was longer than he was obligated to keep San for, but he couldn't bear to say otherwise, so he just agreed with it.

It was Friday, San was in college, and Wooyoung was at home, working. And tracking San's every move, of course.

He felt his phone vibrate on the desk next to him, so he picked it up, seeing that it was an unknown number. He frowned, placing it to his ear, "Hello?" he answered.

"Wooyoung-ssi," a voice came back to him. He didn't recognise the person, though he could tell that it was a man, "I suggest you follow exactly what I say, if you want us to spare your partner."

"What?" Wooyoung gritted out, "Who is this? How do you know my name?"

He pressed record on the call immediately, making sure that he would be able to listen to it later, or at least track the signal.

"It doesn't matter who I am, Jung Wooyoung-ssi. What matters is that we're the ones who have Kang Yeosang with us. He's been awfully...trying, so far, and insisted that he had to speak to you, so here you go," he said, and before Wooyoung could say anything else, he heard a little shuffling, and another voice came to him, one that was deep and familiar and relieving beyond measure, "Wooyoungie!"

"Oh my god, Yeosang," he breathed, "Are you okay? What happened? Where are you?"

Clearly, the call was on speaker, because the voice that came back to him was the one of the other man's, "Listen here, _agents_ ," he mocked, "If Yeosang over here decides to run his pretty little mouth, then it's bye-bye time for-"

"Wooyoung-ah!" Yeosang interrupted, "Wooyoung-ah, I can't say much, but...I'm okay, I promise. I'm fine, I....Toothless," he said, and Wooyoung almost cried with relief at the word. Toothless was good. Toothless meant that Yeosang knew about Seonghwa, that Seonghwa was taking care of him.

"What the fuck is Toothless?" The man in the background asked, and Wooyoung took the liberty to answer.

"It's just an inside joke," he lied, "He meant that he's fine."

"Whatever," the man grunted, "Listen, Wooyoung-ssi, if you want your dear partner to remain alive, you will follow these instructions..."

By then, Wooyoung had hooked his phone up to Yeosang's laptop, and had already begun to trace the signal.

As it started loading, he listened to the words of the other man.

"One week. Next Friday, you will come to the address which we will send to you a day before. At midnight. Bring Choi San, and come alone. If you bring the other....lackeys, we will not hesitate to kill your partner over here," he threatened, "Let's swap, shall we? Your boy for mine," he said.

"San isn't your boy," Wooyoung hissed.

"Oh, but he is," came the reply, "Let me give you a little hint. The chip that interfered with yours in San's phone? That's ours. And San put it there himself."

"What the fuck are you saying? I doubt San even knows that it's there."

"...I'm not not going to waste my time explaining this to your primitive little brain, Wooyoung-ssi. I'm just surprised you're willing to go behind your boy toy's back and spy on him like this," he tutted out fake-sympathetically, "I will see you and your _Sannie_ next week."

"What? What is this about? Look here, it isn't-"

"Adieu, Wooyoung-ssi. I will see you and San soon. Don't ignore this call."

The line went dead.

Wooyoung gave a shout in frustration, dialling frantically and putting the phone on speaker, "Hyung? Hognjoong- hyung? Can I come to work? Something happened."

"What's wrong, Wooyoung?"

"Just let me come in to work," he pleaded, "Sannie is in college, he won't be back for two hours, at least."

"Okay, I'm in my office, just come up here. I've called Mingi and Jongho in as well, for some work."

"Okay, hyung. Thanks," he answered, before ending the call.

He grabbed what he needed and rushed out of his house, mind racing as he took the fastest possible route to get to HQ.

He had to talk to Hongjoong, and fast.

*****

"Play it back," Hongjoong said, and Wooyoung did, playing the recording of his phone call with the unknown man for the third time.

"Hyung, you traced this, right?" Jongho asked, and Wooyoung nodded in response, saying that he'd forgotten to check the results before rushing to get to work.

Hongjoong sighed, "Seonghwa's story marches this. It adds up," he observed, "But something still seems...off. Hey- uh- Wooyoung, do you think this person is a member of SCAR?"

"I- don't know, hyung. He said some pretty wierd stuff, though. What did he even mean when he said that San put that bug in his phone himself? He's a student, he shouldn't even know _how_ to work with technology so advanced."

Mingi looked at him uncomfortably, "Unless...he really is working for them, and you were kept in the dark all along. I mean, it would explain how they managed to get so much information about us."

Wooyoung shook his head firmly, "No, San wouldn't do that, he- he's so sweet, and kind, and innocent, and he even got bullied by other students just for his dad's alliance with a criminal organisation. You're telling me that a boy like that has friendly ties with Jeong Minhee's group of all people? I refuse to believe it even for a minute."

"Consider it, Wooyoung-ah," Hongjoong tried, seemingly still patient with his words, "Don't rule him out just because you trust him, or because you have feelings for him."

Wooyoung rose from the chair, furious, "Look, San couldn't do this! He wouldn't, and I'll prove it to you guys," he declared, "I'm going to ask him when he comes home today. I'll ask him straight out, and if he tries beating around the bush, or even acts suspiciously, I promise I'll let you know. Really, whom would you rather believe? The creep I spoke to, who's probably lying just to get me worked up, or the boy I'm dating? I can vouch for the fact that San is probably innocent," he said, "And if you guys really are right, then me spying on him would hardly be the worst betrayal of each other's trust."

"Wooyoung," Mingi called from behind him, even as he stormed out, "Just...remember who the real bad guys here are, okay? Be careful."

He ignored it, blood rushing in his ears as he fervently walked out the building, intent on getting some answers.

He'd had enough of puzzles and riddles and questions.

It was about time he got some answers instead.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof where do you guys think I'm going with this? I'm open to theories and ideas, so fire away in the comments!! Also, Woosan are finally dating!! Thank god the romance doesn't have a stunt in this at least😝 
> 
> So....leave a comment!! It's what keeps me going, and motivates me to write and update fast😁 
> 
> Hope you look forward to the next chapter!
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "There you go. There's your name," Yeonjun said.
> 
> The screen displayed something in pale green letters, neon against the black background.
> 
> Well, that decided it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! 
> 
> I'm on the laptop so there won't be emojis here until I can use my phone again lol...Anyways, I'm back with chapter 13!! Yay
> 
> OMG you guys are honestly the best with your amazing, supportive comments, I love you all :) Please leave some more for me down below, and of course any criticism or corrections you'd like to point out, please do so.
> 
> Love,  
> R <3

At least him being pissed hadn't deterred Wooyoung's ability to work, or worse, eat.

The first thing he'd done when he got home was to make himself a quick fried rice, leaving enough in case San was hungry when he came back, and ate quickly, thoughts racing the whole time.

It just wasn't adding up.

None of it seemed to be.

And despite himself, Wooyoung couldn't help admitting that if Hongjoong and Mingi's suspicions were indeed coming from the right place, then everything that had happened so far would make sense. But it also meant that he had a hell of a lot more to worry about than before.

Because, since San was staying with him, he probably had access to bunch of different documents, which could explain how those people knew about Wooyoung's real name, his...complicated relationship with San, and other details that he remembered Minhee mentioning during the interrogation.

But it just wasn't possible.

He shook his head firmly, pushing out the thoughts, deciding not to dwell on it further. He put away the bowl, spoon and the other dishes he'd used, before washing his hands and walking to the bedroom.

He shrugged off his thick jacket and ran a hand through his hair, plonking himself down on the swirly chair in front of the desk. Yeosang's laptop was on the desk in front of him, and he hit the space bar until it came to life, waking up from sleep.

There seemed to be a proper location on the screen, which meant the call tracer had worked, thankfully.

He raised his eyebrows, mentally prepared to be faced with the same location that Seonghwa had sent that one message from. He clicked around a little, finding the red dot and pinpointing the coordinates before figuring out where it was.

Well.

It was definitely a familiar location, but it was also _definitely_ not the same place from where Seonghwa had sent the message.

"Fucking hell," he cursed, grabbing his phone and calling Yeonjun's number, "Hey, Yeonjun-ah?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna need you to hurry up on that bug. I'll need some information ASAP. There have been a few unprecedented developments that need taking care of, and I'll need to know whatever's on that to carry out orders," he explained.

"Yeah, I'm almost done," he replied, "You can come up here now if you want, it'll only take a few minutes. I was just about to call you myself."

"Okay," Wooyoung answered, already getting up and walking out of his apartment, making sure it was locked before hanging up the call and making his way to Yeonjun's.

He knocked, and the door opened, revealing Yeonjun, dressed in simple, comfy clothes, "Oh? You're not going in to HQ today?" Wooyoung questioned.

"No, I was planning to catch up on some tech updates and reports, and Hongjoong-hyung said I could do it from here. So once your thingy gets sorted out, I'll get to that," he explained, walking in front of Wooyoung to the work room.

The two of them sat down, and Wooyoung stared at the screen, which was running down with pages and pages of data, green and black numbers flashing on the screen, "What's this?" Wooyoung asked.

Yeonjun hummed, "Well, it will be...in-" he checked the time, "-four minutes, a name."

"You can get a name?" Wooyoung perked up enthusiastically.

Yeonjun nodded, "That's what I'm thinking. If this works, we should have a name. At least the file's name, if not the name of the person who put it in there."

Wooyoung bit his lip, waiting nervously for the torturous four minutes it took, before the screen went completely dark, with a loud 'beep'

"Wha- what does that mean?" He asked, turning to Yeonjun.

Yeonjun sighed, "It means we wait a little longer. Maybe there were too many interfering variables. Just give it a minute," he said.

Yeonjun pointed at the corner of the screen, where a little white dot was moving round and round, "See that?"

"Yeah," Wooyoung said, "Well, it's loading."

Yeonjun picked at his fingernails, "Yeah..."

Another minute or so passed, and it beeped another time, before the screen took on a lighter, greenish tint, "What's happening?" Wooyoung asked.

The corner of Yeonjun's lip quirked up, and he shifted a little, placing his hands on the keyboard and beginning to press a few keys. It took a few moments, but then he finally smiled, leaning back, "There you go. There's your name," Yeonjun said.

The screen displayed something in pale green letters, neon against the black background.

//[KIM-ETHAN]//

_Well, that decided it._

*****

"Wooyoung, I'm back!"

Wooyoung sighed, dreading the confrontation that he was going to have to go through with.

"In here!" He called, and a few seconds later, San strode in, smiling at him happily.

"Hi," he greeted, moving forward to lean down and peck Wooyoung on the lips, hand cupping his jaw. He pulled back, smile teasing, "Did you forget to shave today? You've got a little stubble," he pointed out, hand falling away from his jaw as he straightened up.

Wooyoung nodded, "I guess I forgot," he took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. A few seconds of silence passed, and he made sure he was calm, before speaking.

"San...I have to ask you something."

San dropped his jacket on the bed, sitting down and pulling off his socks with a single hand, "What's up?"

"Well...it's about our case."

San's socks came off, and he balled them up in one hand, "The one involving Jeong Minhee?"

"Yeah. Uh, we've made a few...discoveries, and those don't exactly make you out to be as clueless as you say you are," he began tentatively, padding around in the baby pool before he dived into the deep end, "Is there anything you haven't told me, that you think might be useful for our case?"

San threw the sock-ball into the clothes hamper and shrugged, "I've told you everything I know. Like I said, I didn't know anything about SCAR, or my dad, or anything, until he was arrested, I promise."

"Then how did-" he swallowed, "um...do you know the name Kim Ethan?" He asked.

San frowned, "Uh, no. Never heard of anyone with that name before."

Wooyoung crossed and uncrossed his legs, fidgeting as he wondered how exactly he was supposed to accuse someone without hurting their feelings. "Look, San. I really don't want you to keep this from me, it's very important. So I need to know who Kim Ethan is, and what ties you have with him."

San let out a scoff, "I don't know him, Wooyoung! Why would I lie?"

The younger bit his lip nervously, "How can I just believe you? You _have_ to know who Kim Ethan is."

"But I don't," San denied, "I don't know why you're like, interrogating me right now, but I promise you, I don't know anybody with that name."

"You say that, but how would I know if you're lying to me?"

San stood up, obviously disturbed, "Maybe because I'm your boyfriend?!" He blurted, "If you ask me something, I'd tell you the truth, Wooyoung-ah. It's called _trust_ , remember? So when I say I don't know who Kim Ethan is, it means I don't!"

Wooyoung looked up at the other, "Then why- why do you have an encrypted file on your phone with the name Kim Ethan?"

San's eyes narrowed as he sat back down slowly, "First of all, I don't know anything about that. Second...you went through my phone?"

"Look, San I'm sorry, it wasn't like I had a choice...there were orders, I-"

"Someone gave you _orders_ to go through my stuff without my permission?! Seriously, Wooyoung. You could've just asked, I would've said yes," San countered, cheeks flushing from agitation.

"It isn't something I can just ask you about, San. I'm telling you, there were orders-"

"Fuck your stupid orders," San spat, "What happened to trusting your partner? What happened to me letting you in, letting you take care of me, and you saying all those wonderful things when we're together, Wooyoung? Was that really just a cover, so you could spy on me?"

"No, _no_ " Wooyoung insisted, "I really do think you're wonderful, San. And I trust you, I do. But I just- I had to do this."

"You had to?" San mocked, "Really? You couldn't have just asked me?"

Wooyoung sighed, "Sannie, please. Let's not fight. I need you to understand," he pleaded.

San let out a deep exhale, closing his eyes, "I..." He paused. "What else?"

"What?" Wooyoung wondered aloud.

"What else did you do, other than snoop through my phone?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "Nothing, I promise. I just put a tracking chip and a data collection chip in your phone, so I could keep you safe, San. That's all. Please believe me, I was just trying to protect you."

"So you'd rather go behind my back and track me, and invade my boundaries to look at my phone, than just _talk_ to me?" San questioned, voice cracking.

"Sannie, I was only trying to protect you," Wooyoung insisted, trying as hard as he could to tie the ends together, the ends of a taut string with seemingly no beginning or end.

"Protect me from what? Bullies? Because if that was your aim, it isn't working very well," San blurted.

"Wha- what?" Wooyoung stuttered.

San scoffed, "Why do you think that the moment you came to the rescue and fixed my broken wrist, everything turned to sunshine and rainbows? Because it's not. It's not that simple," San shook his hair out of his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing changed, Wooyoung," San said slowly, as if he were explaining something to a child, patiently, "I'm still getting pushed around and verbally abused _every single day_ , for something that's no fault of mine, and the only reason I didn't tell you is that I didn't want you to worry about me."

Wooyoung's eyes widened, "Why did you-"

"Let me finish," San cut him off, "You always seem so....stressed, so busy, with a million important things to think about, none of them me; and so I kept my mouth shut. When those guys cornered me again, I thought of you, how much trouble I'd be giving you if I got hurt, and that's the only thing that made me fight back. I've learned to ignore the insults now, but verbal abuse is never any better. Physical wounds you can fix, heal. Words...they stick," San said, gaze falling to the ground.

"But what I'm saying is- is that you can't protect me. Not from this. Not now, at least," San shook his head, "It's just going to be a part of my life, getting called a fag and a bastard and a twink every single day. I should get used to it. So what is it that you're even trying to do?"

Wooyoung gasped, "San, why didn't you just say something about the bullying? You know I'm always here for you."

"Are you, really?" San retorted, "Because maybe if you were, you wouldn't have gone through my fucking phone, Wooyoung! You would've talked to me, because you trust me, and not gone behind my back. So how is what you did any better than those guys at school who pick on me? In fact, it's worse!" He snapped, "At least they don't lie to my face about trusting me."

Wooyoung felt his eyes well up, "That's not fair," he managed to say, "I trust you, San. This is just....something that I have to do."

San let out a puff of air from his nose, "You know, I really thought you'd be different."

A tear leaked out of the corner of Wooyoung's left eye, "I'm sorry, San. It just- everything just..."

San scoffed, standing up and turning away from him. He slipped his hand into his pocket, and pulled out his phone, "Here," he said curtly, dropping it on the bed, "You want my phone, you got it. When you have something _reasonable_ to say, come and talk to me. I'll be in the living room."

Wooyoung watched, frozen in place, as San walked out, his mouth open with shock and eyes burning with unshed tears. He clenched his fists, feeling angry and frustrated and insulted and guilty all at once. He didn't dare touch the phone that San had dropped on the bed, treating it like something that would poison him on contact.

Well, it might as well have.

He squeezed his eyes shut, another tear escaping and sliding down his cheek, as he leaned back in the chair, letting his head fall against the edge of it. 

"Fuck you, world," he whispered, voice breaking on every word, "Fuck you."

And through it all, he'd never even brought up the fact that San was probably his only chance at getting Yeosang back, and the fact that he'd traced the call from the mysterious man back to San's favourite ice cream shop.

Fuck you, world.

*****

"I hate him, Yunho!"

Wooyoung whined into his friend's chest, fists hitting the bed uselessly, "I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!"

Yunho sighed, "No you don't."

 _"No I don't!"_ He outraged, burying his head in Yunho's broad shoulder, "And that's even worse."

They were currently in Yunho's apartment, since Wooyoung had walked out of his own with the first chance he got, not wanting to see San right then. He'd snuck out when the older was in the bathroom, simply saying "I'll be back soon," before leaving, not caring whether San had actually even heard him or not.

"At least will you tell me what happened?" Yunho questioned, his hand falling away from Wooyoung's back.

The younger sniffed, pulling away from Yunho's embrace, "Yeah..." He said, and began to recount the events that had just occured, barely managing to stay calm as he did so, on the verge of tears.

Once he finished telling Yunho about everything, the older sighed, nodding in understanding, "To be honest, I don't blame him," Yunho said, "I mean, he _is_ your boyfriend."

Wooyoung glared, "Are you here to comfort me or judge me? I know what I did was wrong, I just didn't think he'd....explode like that."

Yunho nudged Wooyoung in the side, "Well, it isn't like you could help it either, right? Orders are orders."

"Exactly!" Wooyoung whined, "I can't believe this. We're already fighting, and we've been dating for like a week. This has got to be a new record."

Yunho patted his arm, "You know this isn't over, though, right? You still have to find out more. There's got to be some reason for which these people seem to be after him."

Wooyoung nodded, "I know," he mumbled, "I'm just really not in the mood to work, but I know I have to."

Yunho offered him an encouraging smile, "I bet I could get Hongjoong-hyung to call for a meeting, if you want. It might get you away from San for a while at least, if it helps."

Wooyoung nodded, "That would be great. I'm mad at him, and mad at me, and I hate myself for doing this, and I hate _him_ for being so unreasonable, and that's too much to deal with if I'm in the same apartment as him. Getting away for a while is probably a good thing."

Yunho agreed, and he picked up his phone to call Hognjoong, asking if they could schedule a meeting to discuss current developments, and plans for the upcoming infiltration.

Yunho hung up the call, "He said okay. He wants us there in ten."

Wooyoung nodded, wiping his cheeks with his own sleaaves, "I'll be right back. I just need to get my ID and badge."

"Okay."

Wooyoung gave Yunho a tiny smile, the most he could manage right then, and got up, making his way out of the bedroom, and then out of the apartment, going back to his own place.

He went in, and San was seated in the living room, writing something in a book. He barely looked up at Wooyoung when he came in, and the younger sighed as his cold demeanour, before walking inside and grabbing the stuff he needed.

"San, I have to go for a meeting now. I'll be back later," he informed the boy on the floor. Said boy simply mumbled something in understanding, but it was enough for Wooyoung to understand that San was still mad at him.

Well, he wasn't going to try to talk him when he was like that, anyway. He'd first inform Hongjoong about the situation, and then do whatever the older told him to.

So he simply grimaced and walked out the door, back to Yunho's place, so they could go to HQ together.

*****

"I think we should tell him."

Wooyoung looked up in surprise, "You want me to tell San everything?"

Hongjoong shook his head, "No, not _everything_. Just...the part about him being unsafe, as an unnamed organization is looking for him for god-knows-what reason, and how he's sort of the bargaining chip to get Yeosang back."

Wooyoung frowned, "He's not going to listen to me right now, hyung. Not unless I explain why I did what I did."

Hongjoong sighed, "Just...give it a day or two, Young-ah. He'll calm down by tomorrow and you can tell him then. Plus, that gives you enough time to go over the POA I have for now. It also incorporates whatever you said this morning," he said, fetching a stack of papers from under his desk, "I've already made copies for you guys, but I wanted you to actually hear it from me, so we can brainstorm a little."

Wooyoung nodded, along with Jongho, Yunho and Mingi, and Hongjoong took a deep breath, before beginning to explain his theories and plans.

"We have a week to get organised," he began, "Since those people seem to want San, logically, we should take him as a bargaining chip at least, but I don't think it's plausible now, as he isn't really in a great physical condition to escape fast enough if he has to. So I suggest that we do this in stages."

"A day prior, as soon as we get the address, Yunho and Jongho, you two go and scour the area. I'm almost 99% positive that we're going to get the same address from them, that Seonghwa left us, so it makes planning a little easier. There's been no movement picked up by the cameras so far, though, right?"

Yunho nodded his head, "None, hyung. It's suspicious, but at this point, I guess everything is weird, so."

Wooyoung perked up, "If I may interrupt," he began, "Hyung, I traced the call that came this morning. The problem is....it wasn't the same location. It was coming from this ice cream place, you know the one where I went with you and Seonghwa-hyung on your date?"

Hongjoong furrowed his brows, "And Yeosang was there?"

Wooyoung nodded, and Hongjoong took in the information, "That means we know where Yeosang is. Should we try something?"

Jongho shook his head, "I don't think we should, actually. Remember what Seonghwa-hyung said? Doing something like that might just cause issues."

"Then what do you think we should do? What if we end up at that warehouse on that day, and Yeosang isn't even there? What then?" Hongjoong mused.

"Well...we could always go in teams," Yunho suggested, "Like, we could have just one or two of us go to the ice cream place, at least just to scour the area, while the rest of us go to the warehouse. Then planning an infiltration would be easier."

Hongjoong nodded, "Sounds good. So we go in teams. I vote that Yunho, me, Jongho and Mingi- go to the warehouse, and Wooyoungie, you can go to the ice cream place and check it out, because if Yeosang is there, then it's better for you to go. We'll have Yeonjun and Soobin back us up from vans nearby.

"I've also sent in a request to Eden for arrest warrants of anyone we find in association with SCAR, or whatever the hell this organisation is. I should be getting the papers back by tomorrow. We have a new supply of arms that came in yesterday, you guys can go and pick up some stuff from the training room if you want. We'll need all the information we can get about whoever these people are, so Yunho, Mingi, if you guys could go and check on Kim Kyungran today, it'd be great," he turned to Wooyoung, "For god's sake, please fix your relationship so you can actually talk to San."

Wooyoung wrung his hands, "I wanted to know to what extent I can tell him, hyung. He's completely denied any sort of connection with Kim Ethan, which I believe, but it's still weird that he has a chip in his phone with that name. Yeonjun said he'd work on finding out what's in it, but it will take him a while, so I also asked him to find out about Kim Ethan himself. I wasn't able to find anything at all about him, except that he's Australian, which I found weird."

Hongjoong adjusted and re-adjusted the name plate on his desk, "It's...messed up, this case. We know that San has connections with Kim Kyungran's father, for some reason, but he denied everything. It's also weird that none of us have ever heard the name Kim Ethan, but he seems to play a huge role in this, whatever _this_ is."

"So...what do I tell San?"

Hongjoong sighed, "Ask him if he knows anyone who might be after him, who's trying to hurt him, other than those school bullies he told you about. You can tell him that someone's trying to get to him, and that you're trying to keep him safe. Whoever this is, they're very, very dangerous, and it's better if he keeps his tracker in his phone, even if you do remove the other chip in there," he paused for a second, before adding, "And if you guys do make up, please tell him it's a date or something and take him to that ice cream place so you can keep an eye out, maybe talk to the owner about anything weird he might have seen. We can't strike directly, but we could use all the intel we can get."

"That's a good idea," Wooyoung agreed, "Okay, I'll try to fix stuff between us, but I'm not sure exactly how it's going to end, hyung. I'll call you. But either way, I probably can't talk to him today. He's a little too....worked up for that."

"Okay, I think this meeting is over for now," Hongjoong said, "Yunho and Mingi, go to Kim Kyungran's ward and check on her. If we can get her to talk, there's nothing like it. Jongho, go to the arms room and take this paper with you-" he handed over a sheet, "-tell the guy there that we need this stuff and make most of it as light as possible, we want to be able to move fast, which is a challenge with heavy weapons."

Jongho nodded, and grabbed the sheet of paper from their leader, walking out of the room with a quick bow.

"You guys, take these copies of our POA, that I've drafted, and go over it. We've made some changes now, because of certain developments, but this should still work out fine, if I've made the right choices. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Wooyoung, you can go home."

The three of them nodded, accepting the papers from Hongjoong, and bowed as well, before turning away and leaving the room, going their separate ways.

Wooyoung went back to his own place, and San was still in the position as he'd been when he left, seated in the living room.

One look at at him made it obvious that he wasn't in a very amiable mood, and Wooyoung simple walked straight past him and into the bedroom, taking off his ID card, badge and shoes before collapsing onto the bed.

He had to do some work soon.

But before that, he'd just...do nothing, for a few minutes. He'd stew in his own self-pity, and maybe yell at San some more in his head.

Yeah, that sounded good.

*****

"San-ah."

The mentioned boy looked up, unimpressed, "What?" He asked curtly.

Wooyoung had given San two whole days of silence, and he'd had enough of dancing around him. They needed to talk, and fast. Before things just took a downward spiral.

They weren't exactly ignoring each other, but the curt, off-handish replies and lack of physical affection made it obvious that they were treading on thin ice. 

He'd never fought with his boyfriends this early on in their relationship ever before, and fighting with San made it all the more worse. Because San was _not_ like those other boys. San had made him feel more in a few measly weeks, than any of his old boyfriends had managed in _months_. It was scary, but the high was one he could never get tired of.

And that was all the more reason for them to fix what had happened, and fast, because honestly, Wooyoung didn't even want to test the strength of a week-long relationship. Especially with someone like San. He didn't want to find out the answer to the questions plaguing him- _Are we a bright flame that fizzles out with the slightest touch of wind? Or can we be the wind itself, blowing harsh but steady despite resistance?_

And so Wooyoung sucked it up, and approached his boyfriend after two days of excruciating silence, heart in his throat.

"Can we talk?"

San cocked his head to the side, "Are you sure you don't want to check my phone first, see if I have any...evil friends I'm going to tattle to?"

"San, please don't do this," the younger begged, laying down his pride.

San sighed, getting up and moving to sit next to Wooyoung on his bed. It was the closest they'd been since two days ago, "Okay. You want to talk, let's talk. I suppose you have an explanation for me?"

"Yes. I do," Wooyoung affirmed, and when San didn't say anything else, he began to speak, "Look, I know that what I did was a dick move, honestly. And I'm sorry for that. I'm so sorry, but I have valid reasons for my actions."

San crossed his legs, looking at him expectantly, and the younger continued, "Someone's trying to hurt you, San. Hurt you, or capture you, or kill you, I don't know exactly yet. But whoever it is, they definitely don't mean well. They- they have my best friend, Sannie. My roommate. I told you he was out of town, which was true, yes, but then...then he was just _captured_ by those people, and now they want you, in exchange for him."

"What?" San blurted, mouth falling open, "What would they want from me?" It finally seemed like he was letting his walls crack, allowing Wooyoung inside again.

The younger sighed in relief at San's willingness to finally talk, "That's what I was trying to find out," he explained, "I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable or anything, but my colleagues sort of....well, they know you're here, that you're staying with me. They know we're a couple. But my superior gave me orders to find out what those people could want you for, or if you have any connection with them in any way, and I was told not to tell you anything until we had some definite answers."

San pursed his lips, "And I was trying to hide myself, when everyone apparently already knew about me, wow. But...but you still spied on me, Wooyoung," San retorted, "That's still not okay. If you want this to work, you're going to have to trust me. I mean, you _do_ like me, right?"

Wooyoung nodded, "Of course I do. I think you're wonderful, and you're an amazing boyfriend. I'd never give that up," he said, "I just-"

"Had orders?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, you spied on me. Fine, you had orders. But why did you think, even for a moment, that I might have something to do with these people? That I would lie to you? I did tell you that I didn't know anything, didn't I?" San looked... betrayed, and Wooyoung's heart clenched with guilt.

"I- I don't know, San. I was just...desperate? Looking for any solution to this that would make sense, even if it meant that I had to accuse you of lying to me," Wooyoung justified, "I- I'm sorry I thought that you were capable of something like that, just please...don't shut me out. I won't ever pounce on you like that again, Sannie, I promise."

San bit his lip and looked down, "Wooyoung, all my life, the only thing people have ever done, is assume. They _assume_ that since I'm gay, I'm automatically a disgrace to society. They assume that my dad's past actions affect my current conduct. They assume that my broken family is a testament to my personality. All _I've_ ever done is try to prove that wrong. It's why I like having a smile on my face, I like being happy, and I'd rather fake a smile forever than fall victim to society's taunts," San confessed, eyes shining with an unreadable emotion.

"And then you came along, and you were the first one to really look at me and see _San_ , and not just the son of a criminal, not just the weird gay kid. You were so sweet, so caring, and you never judged me for any of my faults, and I think that was what drew me to you. But then one day, I find out that the one person who's only ever believed in me, thinks that I'm capable of a such a huge betrayal of their trust, it...it sort of struck a chord," he explained, "I understand that you had reasons, but it was just a little too much."

Wooyoung reached forward, taking San's hands in his own, his thumb brushing over the plaster cast. Instead of apologising again, or saying something relevant to the conversation, Wooyoung said, "How's your hand feeling?"

"It's fine. It barely hurts anymore, it's just stiff," San responded, easily deviating the topic along with him, "You said I should be fine this week, right?"

Wooyoung nodded, "We can get rid of this in two or three days," he smiled sadly, before his gaze strayed up to San's face, "Sannie...I'm sorry."

"You've said that a lot already."

"But I really, really am. I mean it. I should have never done that, and I should've just talked to you," he insisted.

"I- I guess we all have our weak moments, right?" 

"That's no excuse for what I did. I hope you can forgive me," Wooyoung said sincerely.

San returned his smile, "It's okay, Wooyoung. I'm just glad that you understand where I was coming from, now."

"So we can work past this, right?"

"Definitely. We can work past this, and anything else that may come between us in the future," San's sincere gaze met Wooyoung's, and the younger felt like he'd been punched in the gut, at the thought that they could actually have a _future_ together, and that San had considered it, "Thank you," he said.

Wooyoung pouted, "Don't thank me, I'm the asshole here," he said.

San flicked his forehead gently, "Its okay, honestly. Take my word for it."

Wooyoung looked up into San's feline eyes, "Okay," he caressed San's hand, before smiling hopefully, "So we're good?"

San sensed the change in the mood, and gave him a wicked grin, "Hmm...I don't know," he mused, "Well, there is just one more thing you could do to re-establish your spot in my good books."

"And what is that?"

"Kiss me."

Wooyoung laughed, "I can do that," he leaned forward, hands moving to cup San's cheeks as he pulled him in for a soft kiss.

They were okay.

Maybe not at once, but they'd get there. They were already growing together, and Wooyoung couldn't help the little twinge of pride in him that screamed that Choi San was _his_. He couldn't believe that they really were together. He needed to remind himself that it was real, sometimes, and not just some crazy thing his mind had conjured up.

So he kissed San deeper.

It felt _real_.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I posted a longer chapter than usual cuz I couldn't bear to leave it with woosan fighting :D so. I hope you guys like it, lemme know down below! 
> 
> P.S. I've already written till, like, chapter 16 or 17, so I'm able to update fast lol. Please keep following the story!
> 
> What do you think was the most nail-biting incident so far? 
> 
> Love,  
> R <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wooyoung was stressing over his hair, wondering whether to leave it wavy or style it a little, running his hands through the strands incessantly.
> 
> Because he was going on a date with San. Their first date together.
> 
> And, well, yeah it really only was for the sake of his job, but a date is a date, you know.
> 
> Fingers crossed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyoo!! 
> 
> Omg guys thank you so much for the lovely comments, and to getting this fic over 5.5k hits!!💖💖 
> 
> Yes I am indeed updating fast, cause I've already written till chapter eighteen, so yeah xD you guys will probably be getting updates even faster.
> 
> So....there's not much left to say, just read and comment down below!! 😁 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

_"The chip that interfered with yours in San's phone? That's ours. And San put it there himself."_

The words kept coming back to Wooyoung, making him extremely frustrated. Because why would he say that without reason? Why would he mention that San was the one who put the chip in there, if said boy seemed to know absolutely nothing about it?

It was like having several pieces of a puzzle, but not knowing where to put them, and not knowing what the final picture looked like.

There were some things that made sense, that were defined clearly, like everything Seonghwa had told them, and the deaths of Minhee and Kyunghun. But it wasn't enough. It never was.

The weirdest things, the things they hadn't been able to explain so far, included the fact that whoever it was on the other side, wanted San, for some unknown reason. There was also the weird thing Taehyun, and then Minhee had mentioned, ''a' is gone. It is replaced by 'eo.'"

What the hell did that even mean?

And there was also the ice cream shop.

Why would Yeosang and his kidnapper-dude be there of all places? It was just...not making sense.

So, he had to do something. Something, just to understand at least one piece of the puzzle, to understand where that piece went, or what it was.

And therefore, Wooyoung was currently stressing over his hair, wondering whether to leave it wavy or style it a little, running his hands through his strands incessantly.

Because he was going on a date with San. Their first date together.

And, well, yeah it really only was for the sake of his job, but a date is a date, you know.

This time, he hadn't made the mistake of keeping it a secret from San, readily admitting to him that they were suspecting that the ice cream shop was an important part of their case, and the point of taking San there was to check it out. It had actually been San's idea that they make it a date, and if it didn't work out well, they'd just call it Wooyoung's job. It was a win-win, according to him.

Wooyoung finally decided to just slick his hair back a little, revealing his forehead, and picked up his wallet, shoving it into the back pocket of his black jeans. On second thought, he opened his drawer, a locked one that was at the bottom of his dresser, and chose a pistol from in there, just in case things took an unprecedented turn. He put that into his belt- his longish blue sweater thankfully covered it up- and made sure he had his phone and that his lip balm wasn't smudged, before walking out of the bedroom and to the living room, where San was seated, already dressed in his simple blue jeans and mint coloured t shirt.

"Ready to go?" He asked, and the older looked up from his phone, looking Wooyoung up and down.

"Yeah," he said, and then licked his lips, "You look nice."

Wooyoung grinned, walking forwards, "Thanks. You do too," he complimented, holding out a hand to San, "Come on."

The latter willingly took it with a smile, and they left the apartment after making sure the appliances were switched off, and the lock was in place. 

"So...you won't tell me what any of this is about?" San questioned.

Wooyoung chuckled, "Sorry, some things are better left unsaid," he swung their hands together, walking them towards his car, "Especially when you're bound by government rules regarding confidentiality." He guided San to sit in the passenger's seat, before walking around to the driver's side.

"Is that what you say to all of your dates?" San teased, gripping his own cast with his right hand, wrist completely healed already. All that was left was to remove the plaster cast, and Wooyoung had promised that he'd do that the next day.

Wooyoung slid into the driver's seat, shutting the door, "I don't go on dates much, babe. It's just you," Wooyoung quipped, and took extreme delight in the way San flushed when he called him 'babe'.

Wooyoung chuckled, and started the vehicle, pressing his foot down as he began to drive. They chatted aimlessly, easy banter taking up the time as they drove to their destination.

Once they arrived, they walked into the shop, sitting down at a corner booth. A waitress approached their table, handing them the menus, which they accepted gratefully.

She looked at San with barely-hudden contempt, and Wooyoung felt the urge to stand up and protect his boyfriend. He did no such thing of course, and just stayed in place, gritting his teeth until she left, "What's her problem?".

San shrugged, "I come here very often. I know most of the people working here. They just...don't like me very much."

Wooyoung was about to comment on the latter part of the sentence, but shut himself up when San gave him a 'look', "Hmm... If you're here often, then you should've able to give me recommendations for what to get?" The younger asked, diverting the topic, and San grinned, nodding.

"Of course!" He exclaimed, "Gimme," he snatched the menu from Wooyoung's hands, and leaned over the table a little to point at something, "This is-"

Wooyoung's phone rang at that exact point, and he looked at San guiltily, "Sorry, one sec," he said, and slipped his phone out of his pocket, looking at the ID before looking up at San again, "I, um...I kinda have to take this."

San leaned back, gesturing at him, "It's fine, go ahead."

Wooyoung pressed his lips together, accepting the call. He decided to take the call sitting right there, as he was a little hesitant to leave San behind in that place, "Hello, Yeonjun-ah, what's up?"

"Wooyoung, oh my god, where are you? I'm at your place and there's no one here. You didn't pick up your work phone either,," he exclaimed. He seemed somewhat agitated.

"Hey, hey I'm just out," he reassured, "is something wrong?"

"Is San with you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Wooyoung, that chip isn't in San's phone. I just managed to get in, it's not a physical chip in his phone, it's- it's-"

Wooyoung frowned, "Just spit it out already," he prompted.

"San is- he's kind of....he has a chip in him."

"What?"

"He has a chip _in_ him," Yeonjun repeated, "Like...in his neck or his arm, or something. This thingy on his phone just tracks him. He has an actual implant in his body, Wooyoung!" He hissed at him.

Wooyoung's eyes widened, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm definitely sure. Does wherever you are have a bathroom, or somewhere private? If it does, go feel him up and check for anything. If you do find it, take it out by today. If not, we can ask Yunho to take a look at him," Yeonjun instructed.

Wooyoung thanked him, and hung up the call, before turning to San, "Hey, there's something I have to check, so do you want to eat first, and then do that?"

"Is it urgent?" San asked, deflating a little, "Should we call this off and go out another time?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "No, no. I have to check the thing with you. I'll explain once we get something to eat. We can talk after." He decided, before telling San he could order for both of them.

The older's eyes lit up a little at the prospect that their date wasn't getting cut short after all, "Okay," He said enthusiastically before calling over the waitress and rattling off a complicated order for each of them.

Wooyoung sighed, placing his chin on his palm as he stared at San, who was looking out the window, "Hey, Sannie?"

He turned, "Yeah?" The light caught his eyes just a a certain way, and it did wonders for his skin tone. He really did look ethereal, sunkissed.

"You're pretty."

San burst into shy giggles, bringing his palm up to cover his mouth, "That was random."

Wooyoung smiled, "I guess so."

It was silent for a full minute or so, and then San spoke, "Hey... whatever this assignment is that you're on, do you know why I'm involved?"

Wooyoung sighed, "I actually thought I'd get some answers from you, but you seem to be clueless as well. I just- I don't know, San. Everything is all messed up, and nothing seems to be working right. Everytime we think we've found one lead, two more unanswered questions pop up, and it's just stressing me out."

San reached across the table, taking Wooyoung's hand in his and threading their fingers together, "You know you can talk to me, right? If I'm involved, I have a right to know what's going on."

"You already know most of it, San," Wooyoung squeezed San's hand in his, "There's really not much more to it. It might be the simplest thing ever, and we're just missing something. There's someone after you, I'm not sure why, but the problem is...they offered us a deal."

"What deal?" San asked.

"My partner Yeosang was captured by them, and they said that if we give you up to them, then we get Yeosang back," he explained, "They- they called me on my phone to tell me this, and when I traced the location, the call was actually coming from...here."

San looked horrified, and a little worried, "Anything else?"

"Well, they said we have a week, and that was on Friday and today is Monday, so we have four days now," he said, "So I thought we could come here, call it a date, and I could snoop around a little, but I guess that's off the table now."

"What- why?" San questioned.

Just as Wooyoung was about to tell him about the chip, the waitress arrived with their ice creams, placing the bowls and spoons on the table. "Enjoy," she said, looking pointedly at Wooyoung and completely ignored San, before leaving them alone again.

Wooyoung sighed, not liking it, but also not riled up enough to actually make a move, "Let's just eat first, and we can talk about this later. How's that sound?"

San shoved a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth, eyes brightening at the taste, "Okay," he agreed easily, holding out another spoonful, "Here, taste."

Wooyoung smiled, leaning forward to eat San's ice cream, salivating at the amazing taste of chocolate and coffee, "Oh, wow."

"I know, right?" San mumbled out, mouth still full of the cold dessert, "Lemme try yours."

Wooyoung smiled and reached forward, holding San's jaw with one hand as he fed him his own ice cream, slightly fruity taste different from San's rich chocolatey one, "Yum," San commented, licking his lips.

Wooyoung grinned, brushing a smear of ice cream off the corner of San's lips and sucking his thumb into his mouth, "Yum indeed."

They giggled and fed each other the creamy dessert, licking off their spoons once they were done.

Wooyoung wet his lips with his tongue, "I like this," he said.

San furrowed his brows, "What?"

Wooyoung gestured vaguely between them, "This, being with you, just...going on dates with you and feeding you ice cream and licking chocolate off your spoon, I- I like it. I like being your boyfriend," he said, and San's face broke into one of the most gorgeous smiles in the world, eyes glinting with the stars that were reflected in his cheeks and neck, unique constellations making him who he was, making him _beautiful_.

"I like this too, Wooyoungie," San replied, dimples indenting his cheeks. Wooyoung had the sudden urge to poke them. He held it back.

"It's nice to feel normal," he said, returning San's smile, "I can forget about all the crazy things happening in my life when I'm with you."

San's smile fell at once, "But you can't now, can you? There's too much crazy."

"There is," Wooyoung agreed, "and some of it's just popped up, so I need you to come with me."

Wooyoung stood and San followed without protest, walking behind him to the bathroom, "What's going on?" San asked.

"Shh," Wooyoung hissed, before pulling him into a corner, not before checking that there was no one else around, making sure that his body covered San's completely, in case anyone decided to walk in.

"If this is a hookup, I'm not sure that this is the time or place- _oh!_ " San cut himself off with an exclamation as he was manhandled to turn around, Wooyoung breathing down his neck in the small space, "What are you doing?"

"Checking for something," Wooyoung said, before placing both hands on San's neck and running it over the skin, lifting up his hair to check his nape.

Everything seemed normal for a few seconds, but then Wooyoung's finger grazed a bump. One that was suspiciously shaped like a tiny stick inside San's skin, at his nape. He'd probably never noticed it before because he hadn't known what to look for.

"Oh god," he breathed, "That means...."

"What? What is it?" San was pretty much panicking at this point, perplexed about the situation.

Wooyoung allowed San to turn around again, placing both hands on his shoulders, "You have a chip in your neck," he said as calmly as he could.

"I...what?!"

Wooyoung guided San's right hand to his nape, until he grazed the bump there, "Feel that?" When San nodded, he continued, "That's a microchip. It tracks you."

"I have a microchip in my body?" San asked, completely shocked, "That's crazy! How did it get in there?"

Wooyoung dropped San's hand, and it fell to his side, "Now _that's_ what I'd like to know. How did it get in there?"

"Um, you didn't...."

"No, of course not. Why would I chip you? I was only tracking your phone, remember?" Wooyoung pointed out, "No, this one was surgically implanted in your neck. Which is why, it's extremely odd that you don't remember it."

"Maybe I was on an anaesthetic, I've heard you get disoriented when that happens?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "Maybe, but not knowing that it was there at all? That's...odd, to ay the least."

San lowered his voice to a whisper, matching Wooyoung's soft tone, "So what do I do now?"

"You don't do anything," Wooyoung said, "Once we get back home, I can take it out for you. Don't worry, I've done it before," he reassured, when San began to look slightly queasy at the prospect of a small surgical procedure, "but this also means we can't exactly snoop around now, because whoever is tracking you, knows where you are, and if we go snooping, it might not end well."

San looked down, "I'm sorry, if I knew I promise I would've told you, Wooyoung. I just-"

"Hey, it's okay. Knowing this, gives us an edge, think of it like that," Wooyoung said, "Let's just pay the bill and go home, okay?"

San nodded, "Yeah. Oh, and my apartment should be done by next week, so I think I can move back in."

Wooyoung ignored the twinge of something in his chest. He refused to call it sadness, "We can talk about that after this week, San. There's already too much going on," with that, he guided him out of the bathroom, going back to their table to pay the bill and leave a very stingy tip for the rude waitress, before exiting the shop, hand in hand.

*****

"Hold still!"

"I'm trying, it feels weird!"

"Of course it'll feel weird if you move around this much!"

"Fine," San grumbled, finally relenting to staying in the same position, seated on the bed, so Wooyoung could remove the chip from his neck.

It took a little while, but then it was being presented in front of San, held in a pair of tweezers, "There. All done."

San grimaced at the sight of the slightly bloody microchip, a small, bar-like device with a silver body and yellow rim, "I can't believe that was in me and I didn't know it."

Wooyoung grabbed a cloth, wiping it down and placing it on hisndesk before getting to work, patching up the open wound on San's neck, "This is a good thing," he said, "Now they don't know that we've removed this. It means you can go wherever you want. Just make sure you take it to classes with you, so Kim Ethan doesn't get suspicious," Wooyoung had taken to calling the mysterious man 'Kim Ethan', as it was the only lead they had at the moment.

"Okay," San tried to nod, and winced when it caused his neck to hurt.

"Woah, careful," Wooyoung warned, "The bandages are still new. If you jostle them too much, you'll start bleeding again."

"Hmm."

Wooyoung left San's side with a small smile, putting away his medical kit before picking up his phone and calling a familiar number, "Hongjoong-hyung?"

"Yeah, Yeonjun told me about the chip. You got it out?"

"Yeah, I just did. Hyung, I don't think it's a good idea for me to go there again. Is it okay if one of the other guys goes to check out the ice cream shop? Maybe find some leads?"

"Sure, yeah. I'll ask Jongho to go after his shift here. I'll send one of the others with him, whoever's free." 

"Thanks, hyung," Wooyoung said, saying goodbye before hanging up and walking towards San again.

"Hey, you don't have classes today?"

San shrugged, "Something about a uni club...festival...something," he said hesitantly, "Either way, we've been given two days off, and I don't have to go for my library shift either, I'll get paid anyway."

"Cool," Wooyoung commented, "I've got some stuff to do, so..." he gestured with his thumb, clearly indicating that he was going to leave the room.

"Gimme kissy," San whined, reaching out with his right hand.

Wooyoung laughed, "Yeah, yeah," he gave in, leaning down to pull San into a close-mouthed kiss with a hand on his cheek, letting it go on just long enough for his lips to go red and swollen before pulling away with a wet sound, standing up straight, "Okay, um, if you get hungry, there's probably kimchi in the fridge which you can heat up."

"Thanks," San said, stopping himself from nodding again at the last minute.

Wooyoung smiled, and left the room, taking a stack of papers and his laptop with him to work in the living room.

He settled himself down on the floor, using the coffee table for his stuff, and opened his laptop, entering his password before going to his files, the ones where he had Hongjoong's POA stored.

It had everything they needed to know for Friday, or at least everything they knew so far.

It provided a very clear picture of the case. Hongjoong was obviously experienced, and he knew his way around by now, and their department was already regarded as one of the most elite in the force, capable of pulling off what many others couldn't.

Their leader was their pillar, the reason for all of their success, and Wooyoung could honestly say he had the most brilliant mind, out of all the people he'd come across in his life. Hongjoong had always been one of the brightest, even when he was a rookie, and now had quite the reputation that preceded him.

And of course, their leader was also extremely thorough and careful when he did his work, drafting the most impeccable plans and ingenious ideas for their assignments, espcially the ones like these that seemed to just circle round and round.

The plan for Friday was written simply, stating all the important parts in bold, and made everything as easy to understand as possible.

They would go in two teams.

Yunho, Mingi, Hongjoong and Jongho to the warehouse, as Seonghwa's message guided them there.

Wooyoung would go to the ice cream place on the same day, just in case Yeosang was there. Depending on the time, and depending on the circumstances, Wooyoung also had the option of leaving his spot and joining the others, in case he had to.

Soobin would be his backup, and Yeonjun would be the others', and they'd both be in constant communication with each other. They'd leave behind a few trainees or rookies to take care of the systems at HQ, as any problems with their devices would be alerted to them.

They already had access to the security cameras near the ice cream place, since they'd spoken to the local police, and they'd also set up cameras ourside the warehouse. Of course, there hadn't been any activity there at all, but it was still the biggest lead they had, that was real and trustworthy.

The usual infiltration protocol would be carried out, and Wooyoung would remain in standby until he was told.

Whichever address they were told to bring San to, that group would take his tracker chip with them, so that Kim Ethan or whoever would assume that San was with them, when really, he'd be in the apartment, safe and sound. San had already been informed about that part, and it hadn't taken much convincing to get him to agree.

Then, Wooyoung would be looking around the area, once he was given the clear, and he'd be trying to find how exactly he'd received a call from there.

From then on, they'd just trust their luck and go headfirst, with their first and foremost objective being to get Yeosang and Seonghwa out of there, with Yeosang being given top priority. Their next aim was to find out whoever it was, doing all of the crazy stuff, and capture them, preferably alive. Hongjoong had already acquired arrest warrants from their superior, Eden, for anyone they found to be in alliance with, or taking after SCAR. And it was obvious from all the developments so far, that SCAR probably had a big part to play in everything.

They just weren't sure _what_ it was yet.

And if, in the meantime, they found out where exactly San fit into the picture, that would be great too.

Gosh, it felt like he had too much to do, and not enough time to do it, even though there were still a few days left.

*****

Thursday came, and it felt like it had not even been a day. Wooyoung had blinked, and it was already Thursday.

San's wrist was completely healed, and Wooyoung had taken the cast off of it, which meant he now had an almost-fully-functional left arm to work with. San had also met Yunho and Mingi, when they'd come over to hand over a few arms to Wooyoung the previous day. Things like bullets, a spare gun, and a smoke bomb and gas mask, if the need were to come up.

All they'd done was mindlessly tease Wooyoung while his boyfriend turned beet red, hiding his face everytime they made a suggestive comment, that was totally inappropriate, but normal for those two idiots. Okay, maybe Wooyoung was embarrassed and shy too, but only because Mingi had taken one look at San and gone 'wow Wooyoung, he's hot', like he was checking out a celebrity.

Not that Wooyoung didn't think San was hot, because- well, because he had _eyes_. It was obvious that San was a catch, and it was still a little surreal that San was actually dating him, that he'd said yes and agreed to go out with Wooyoung and kiss him and sleep with him and do other couply things together.

They'd had a conversation just a day or two ago, about what would happen to their relationship once San had to leave and go back to his old apartment again. The final decision had been to do whatever it took to maintain their ties and continue their relationship. In a way, Wooyoung was exactly what San needed, and vice versa. They kept each other grounded, and helped each other to forget the rest of the world when they were together, even for a little while. It was just what each of them needed, considering the crap they faced every day. 

Having a boyfriend hadn't really been something that Wooyoung had been invested in, before he'd met San. He'd just taken it as it had come, with a few hookups here and there, and even one or two lasting relationships, though even the longest one had burned out in four months.

He and San hadn't even been together for four weeks, but Wooyoung could already tell he wanted this to last. Even after San left his apartment, even after they returned to their supposed normalcy, he wanted to see San and be his boyfriend. He _wanted_ to fall in love with him.

It was pretty much the first time he'd ever felt so strongly about someone.

Even through everything that was happening, he couldn't help but doubt it all, as it felt like a dream. It wasn't really.... _real_ , being with San.

Like it was just his dreams giving him some happiness in between all the stress he was facing with his work.

But it was real, all right. And it was amazing. It was his drop of fresh water in a desert; because when every tiny thing around him seemed desolate and hopeless, San would soothe the restlessness in him. He'd swoop in with his dimpled smile and sparkly eyes and constellation-covered neck and kiss him into reality, letting him know that life wasn't always so complicated, and sometimes it was best to just live as you are, without trying to change every little thing to fit your whims.

If life always complied with what you wanted, it'd be a very boring one to live.

And that was exactly why San didn't cry for himself, despite getting bullied. He simply took it as a phase of life, his very own rite of passage that he had to get through in order to become a strong man.

Wooyoung admired that quality in him, so much.

And yeah, they'd have their little spats and disagreements- sometimes Wooyoung was an idiot, and sometimes San was feeling petty, but they really were happy together. San made him happy, and he never wanted to give that up. 

He sighed, snapping his laptop shut and checking his phone for the hundredth time, still waiting for the message about the address for the next day.

It was already past nine, and he still had no messages, which was weird.

He ran a hand through his hair and bit his lips nervously until they were raw. Waiting was probably the hardest part. It was terrible to have your mind wander freely, but have to sit in complete silence, patience thinning.

"Wooyoung! Do you want some juice?" San asked, walking into the bedroom and approaching the desk where he was seated.

Wooyoung shook his head, "I'm good."

He looked up, meeting San's eyes. He was clearly tired, but not so much so that he was falling asleep standing up, "Come here," he demanded, and pulled San down by the shoulders, tugging him to sit on his lap. He made a surprised sound, but Wooyoung barely let him finish, pulling him closer to kiss him on the mouth before he could say anything else.

San didn't try to protest, and his eyes fluttered shut, as he allowed his arms, yes, _both_ his arms, to wrap around Wooyoung's neck, fingers threading in his hair. He pulled away after a few seconds, and stared breathlessly at his boyfriend, "Okay, I don't think you should be wasting your energy now. We can have sex after you get back," San said.

"We're not having sex _now_ ," Wooyoung deadpanned, "I just want you to kiss me, please?"

San smiled, "That, I can do," he affirmed, and leaned forward again, pushing their lips together and melting into the feeling.

They made out for seconds that turned into minutes, and Wooyoung's mouth felt wet and swollen before he finally pulled away to trace his lips across San's cheek.

His hand had begun to snake up into the back of San's shirt, meeting bare skin, when his phone pinged, jerking him out of his haze.

"One sec," he told San, keeping one hand firm on his back as he reached across the table to grab his phone with the other hand, checking it.

A text message.

It was an address.

The address of the warehouse.

_It's go time._

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooo what'd you guys think of this chapter? What do you think is going to happen in the next one?? Comment and let me know!! 
> 
> Leave kudos, comments, and subscribe to follow this story!! Check out my other fics as well, if you've got the time😉 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _**Unknown**_  
>  _Bring Choi San and come to this location. Alone. Bring anyone else and your partner dies. Mindnight, tomorrow._  
>  -* _Location attached_ *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guysss!!!
> 
> Omg I can't believe this fic has done this well so far, thanks for all the support!❤️ 
> 
> I'm back with chapter 15, and from here onwards there will be pov switches as well, so I hope you guys like those!! 😁 
> 
> You guys' comments literally give me life and motivate me to write and update faster, so leave me some more down below!! 💖
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

_**Unknown**_  
_Bring Choi San and come to this location. Alone. Bring anyone else and your partner dies. Mindnight, tomorrow._  
-* _Location attached*_

Hongjoong looked at Wooyoung's phone and nodded, "This should work. If they want us there, then we'll take San's tracker with us and go there. You follow your orders. Are you all thorough with the plan?"

It was Friday morning, around ten am, and Wooyoung, Jongho, Mingi, Yunho, Yeonjun and Soobin were gathered in Hongjoong's office, a little cramped, but they made it work somehow.

They affirmed the fact that they'd all gone through the plan several times, and were ready for anything.

"Good," Hongjoong grabbed a pen, and a form was placed on the table, "All of you, sign this next to your names, and write your agent number there as well, since this is going to the boss."

They quickly filed into a sort of line, and did as told, before looking expectantly at Hongjoong for further instructions.

"Yeonjun and Soobin, did you bring what I asked you to?" The leader held out his hands, and the two mentioned agents placed earpieces there, enough for all of them, "Okay, and Yunho?" He asked, keeping the devices down on teh table after counting them.

"Kim Kyungran has shown no further deterioration, but she is too drug-riddled to answer any questions properly. We have ruled her out for now, but I've kept her in cuffs anyway," Yunho replied at once.

"Mingi, status report?"

"Cameras are clean so far. No sign of movement. If someone's in there, they must be having another way of getting in and out so that it doesn't show up in the cameras near the front and back gates," he informed them, "The ice cream shop was checked out by me and Jongho yesterday; we didn't find anything obvious when we spoke to the workers, but Wooyoung should check out the kitchen inside when he gets there today. Something was definitely off about the place."

"Jongho, how about you?"

The youngest nodded, "I've written a note in code with the explanation of the case and a makeshift report, and I have a message and burner phones for Seonghwa-hyung and Yeosang-hyung, in case things don't go well and we have to communicate with them. Firearms are ready in the vans."

"Good," Hongjoong praised, impressed by the maturity of their newest addition to the team, "Finally, Wooyoung?"

"The tracker which was extracted from San's neck is currently in his possession. I will hand it over to Yunho when we have to leave from our place, so that it will seem like San is leaving too. I have guns for both me and Yeosang, for when we have to escape today. Other items have been packed in my backpack," Wooyoung said, trying not to betray how nervous this was making him.

"So we're all set?" Hongjoong looked around the room at their faces, lined with determination, nervousness and a little frustration at having to wait the whole day before they would be leaving at around ten forty, to get to the warehouse on time. Wooyoung would leave a little later, and go directly to the ice cream place to find Yeosang, or at least find out where the call had come from.

When everyone stayed quiet, nodding at their leader, he smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry. We'll get Yeosang back, and Seonghwa too. Everyone except Yeonjun and Soobin can go home and rest if you want. The two of you, stay so we can discuss some technical details. Wooyoung, make sure San is safe, and tell him all the possible exit routes from your place so he can protect himself if need be," he addressed all of them, "I will see you all here at ten pm. Don't be late."

All of them, except Yeonjun and Soobin, bowed, saying their thank yous, before they left the room, heading to different places, Jongho to his shared office with a few other rookies, and Mingi, Yunho and Wooyoung back to their homes to get ready for the night.

This was it.

*****

Wooyoung had insisted on San not skipping his classes even for a day, so that he wouldn't rouse suspicion. The younger was waiting for San to get back to he could take the tracker from him and store it in his safe until Yunho came over to collect it from him in the night.

San's classes would finish by two pm that day, and it was already past that time, so he should have been on his way.

As if on cue, Wooyoung heard the familiar click of the door as it opened, and San stepped inside, carrying a backpack on one arm and a thick notebook in the other, "Hey," he greeted Wooyoung.

The younger stood up from his spot on the couch, and walked over to his boyfriend, giving him a kiss on his lips in greeting, "Hi."

Although they'd just gotten past a sort-of fight, they were still going strong, Wooyoung's earlier apprehension now fully replaced by affection.

San dropped his backpack in the couch, and placed his notebook on top of it, before sitting down to take his shoes off, "The tracker is in the third compartment in my bag, the small one. You can take it from there."

"Thanks," Wooyoung said, before opening the zip, having a mini heart attack when it looked empty for a second, and then sighing in relief when he found it tucked into a corner, "There we go," he said, taking it with him to the bedroom to put in his safe and lock it shut.

He came back to the living room where San was seated, and took the spot next to him, "I have a few things to tell you, and once you're clear with that stuff, I'll be leaving. I have to report only at ten in the night, but I have some things to deal with before then, so I'll be leaving around seven. Is that okay?"

San nodded, shifting closer and pulling Wooyoung into his side, the younger willingly curling into his boyfriend's embrace, "Yeah, it's fine."

"Cool," Wooyoung said, taking a deep breath, inhaling he familiar scent he'd now become so used to. He turned his head to kiss San on the cheek, but was met by his lips instead, so he settled for that, shutting his eyes as he leaned into the kiss.

"You always smell so good," San mumbled into his mouth, and Wooyoung chuckled, turning his body around a little to nestle himself into San's personal space and kiss him a little harder, a little more desperate, a little more uninhibited.

San pulled back when it began getting a little too intense, running his hand through Wooyoung's hair and pushing it away from his face to look at him, "Hey, you okay? You seem a little...off."

Wooyoung met his eyes, and just...broke.

He threw his arms around San, and pushed himself forward to sit on his lap, burying his face in the older's neck, "Sannie..." He breathed, "Just..." he stopped, opting to simply exhale deeply into San's neck.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?" San asked worriedly, rubbing circles into Wooyoung's back with one hand and holding the back of his head with the other- now completely healed.

"I'm scared," Wooyoung mumbled into his boyfriend's neck, lips brushing the skin as he spoke, "I'm scared that this won't work out like we want it to, I'm scared that I've put my best friend in danger, I'm scared that _you're_ in danger."

San shushed him softly, placing a sweet kiss on the top of Wooyoung's head, "Listen, that's not what you should be dwelling on. There's so much weight on your shoulders already, and thinking that everything isn't going to turn out the way you want it to, won't make it any easier to bear, right?"

Wooyoung nodded, but he didn't say anything more, face still buried in San's neck.

"Baby, look at me," San said affectionately, nudging Wooyoung to move and look up, "You're so brave, you know that?"

Wooyoung managed a tiny smile, "I just told you I was scared, and now you're calling me brave?"

San chuckled, "You are brave, in more ways than you think. There's no one else like you, who could do this much for the people around him, for the people he cares about, and still believe that it isn't enough. You're _beautiful_ , Wooyoung," he said, and his voice was so sincere, his eyes so pure, that Wooyoung _believed_ him.

"Thank you," he whispered, moving his palm to San's cheek, holding his face tenderly.

San leaned down and kissed him, loving the way Wooyoung's touch made his whole body burn with comforting warmth and happiness.

The younger pulled back and tucked himself into San's arms, melting into his embrace easily, "Just...hold me, okay?"

San smiled, "Okay."

*****

"You got all of that? I'll text it to you, but remember it just to be safe," Wooyoung instructed, eyes wide as he looked at San.

The latter nodded, "Got it. I have to remember all the exits, how they open and which are the most and least safe ones. I think I'm good," he assured.

Wooyoung hoisted his backpack over his shoulder, the sound of of metal clinking audible in the otherwise silent room, "Promise me you'll stay safe. Don't go anywhere, don't open the door to anybody. Just sit tight, and wait for me. I'll be back before you know it."

San gave him a tight-lipped smile, "Okay."

"Say that you promise."

He chuckled, "I promise I'll be safe, Wooyoung. I can take care of myself."

Wooyoung took a deep breath, closing the distance between them and grabbing San by his biceps to pull him into a kiss. It was short, and they pulled back quickly, "Wish me luck."

San smiled, "Good luck."

Wooyoung placed one last kiss on San's cheek before leaning away, patting himself down to check if he'd missed anything.

He'd already handed over San's tracker to Yunho, who would be bringing it to HQ at ten pm, and then he'd be leaving with it at a quarter to eleven, so they'd get to the warehouse on time.

"Bye, Sannie," Wooyoung said with finality, turning around to walk out the door.

Just as he was placing his hand on the door, he was stopped by San's voice behind him, "Wait."

He turned around, looking at San, curious, "Yeah?"

San surged forward, grabbing him by the waist and leaning down to press their lips together. He was kissing him almost urgently, like there was something he was desperate to convey through the contact. He pulled away, leaving Wooyoung a little surprised and breathless, "What- what's was that for?" He stuttered.

"I love you."

Wooyoung's eyes widened, hand falling away from where it had still been placed on the door, "You...what?"

San smiled, "Don't say it back. Even if you do feel the same way. Or don't. Just...go. At least, this gives you something happy to think about if you start feeling negative."

Wooyoung swallowed, trying very, very hard not to just burst into tears, "Um...uh, okay. Okay. We- we will...talk once I get back," he stuttered, quite stupidly.

San was still smiling, as if he was very satisfied with his own actions, "Okay," he said brightly, "Now go get 'em."

Wooyoung was snapped out of his own head at that, "Right," he said, mostly to himself, "Bye, San-ah."

"Bye, Wooyoungie," San replied, finally letting Wooyoung go, closing the door behind him and re-locking every little thing, just as he'd been told to.

Wooyoung walked away from his apartment, functioning robotically, taking deep, calculated breaths as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

_San loves me._

_Wow._

But... Did Wooyoung feel the same way? He hadn't really considered it before, but being confessed to just a minute or so ago sort of gave him a reason to.

Although...it wasn't the time, or the place, to be thinking about it. So he decided to do exactly what San had told him to do. He would think of it as something positive. Something happy and optimistic to give his body and mind a little energy when he needed it the most.

He smiled, getting inside his car and starting ir.

_San loves me._

Wooyoung felt a little jump in his heart as he drove to HQ, feeling light and free of worries, despite how wrong that notion was. But it was okay now. He was okay. His top priority was Yeosang, and he would get him out of the mess he'd been thrust into.

Because he knew San believed in him, and somehow that gave a him a reassurance like no other.

When he got to his shared office with Yeosang, he began taking care of his stuff, packing and checking and re-checking if he had everything he needed.

He went over the POA another time, and mind mapped his own plan for when he got to his destination.

If he did see Kim Ethan, or anyone equally dangerous, and if they weren't alone, Wooyoung had been instructed to leave the area at once, and inform the others so they could send him backup. And vice versa, in case the others needed some extra help in the warehouse.

Yeonjun and Soobin were already in their vans, setting up all the equipment they needed and making sure everything was properly connected and configured, for their plan to proceed smoothly.

It was almost time for Wooyoung to make his way over to their leaders office, so he began closing whatever stuff he'd left open, and slung his backpack- he'd tried to make it as light as possible- over one shoulder, and left the room, looking around him to check if he'd missed anything, before going towards his leader's office.

He knocked on the closed door, and received a call of "come in!" in response. He obeyed, pushing the door open and striding inside, seeing that it was empty except for Hongjoong.

"Hey, hyung," he greeted.

"You're the first one here, huh? Sit," Hongjoong cocked his head towards another chair in the room, the one where Seonghwa was usually seated. The younger hummed in acknowledgement, taking a seat in the empty chair.

"Oi, Wooyoung. Why do you seem different today?"

Wooyoung frowned, "Different? What do you mean?"

"You're...I dunno, just a little...flushed, maybe? Oh my god, don't tell me you had sex before this," Hongjoong grimaced, setting right a few papers on his desk.

"What? No!" He replied indignantly, "Why would you think that?"

"You just seem like you did, I dunno. Either that or you're just really optimistic about this mission," Hongjoong justified, "You've got a...glow," he finally concluded, "Yeah, a glow."

Realisation suddenly dawned on Wooyoung, "Oh," he blushed, "yeah, um...San told me he loves me, just before I left," he admitted shyly, biting his own lip.

Hongjoong stopped working at once, looking up in surprise, "Wow, that's big," he said, "What did you say?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "Nothing. He told me not to say anything back until we were done with this thing today."

Hongjoong gave him a slightly proud smile, "Then let's do this right, yeah?"

Wooyoung was about to reply, when there was another knock at the door, and Jongho's voice was heard, "Hyung, it's me."

"Come in," Hongjoong called, and their youngest stepped in, carrying way more stuff than Wooyoung would've expected he could, with heavy guns strapped to his frame, and a belt with several items on it, not to mention the bag slung over his shoulder.

He entered the room, surprisingly quiet despite all his extra baggage, and sat down easily in another one of the chairs, crossing his legs in front of him as he drummed his fingers on his own thighs, humming nervously.

The others arrived soon, and after one final briefing from Hongjoong, they were all ready to leave.

Wooyoung watched the others climb into the bigger of the two vans, fitting in their earpieces, and wearing their masks and badges on their jackets.

He wished them luck as they left, San's tracker with them and Yeonjun manning the vehicle in front, nervously biting his lip as he waited for Soobin to join him out front after dealing with some work inside, so they could leave as well.

"Ready to go?" Soobin asked as he came outside a few minutes later, already wearing his mask and carrying a small briefcase in one hand.

Wooyoung nodded, "Yeah," he followed Soobin inside, the other towering over him as he made his way to the front and sat down in the driver's seat.

It was a quiet ride, with Soobin occassionally giving him updates from the other team. Wooyoung took the time to plug in his earpiece and pull on his mask and badge, putting the weapons he needed into the two holsters at hip and making sure he had enough bullets.

He got to his destination first, considering that it was closer than the warehouse, but he stayed put in the vehicle with Soobin, parked in a back alley, as they waited for an update from the other team so that Wooyoung could move.

It was a torturous fifteen minutes, lying in wait with absolutely nothing to do but think and think and think, wallowing in his own thoughts.

If he had the chance to meet whoever it was behind all of this, Wooyoung swore he'd wring that person's neck without a second thought, give them hell for all they'd put him through, all they'd put _Yeosang_ through.

He was already about ninety nine per cent convinced that it was Kim Ethan who was pulling the strings, but as Seonghwa had always told him 'You never know till you know.'

He was just about to bang his head on the window in frustration due to the long wait, when his ear device finally pinged, and static was heard, before Yunho's voice came to him, "2410, can you hear me?"

He tapped at it, "Yeah."

"We're in position around the boundary of the area. The leader has the tracking device with him, and is waiting by the door."

"Copy that," Wooyoung answered, "My instructions?"

"Wait for our signal," this time it was Hongjoong, "2817 will tell you when you can go inside."

Thankfully, this time, Wooyoung didn't have to wait for long, "2410, it's 2817 here," Jongho called in his ear after just a few minutes, "We are ready. You may go and look for the place you received the phone signal from. If you find anything, tell us. Do you copy?"

"Copy," he answered, "We're clear over here. I'm leaving the van. I'll tell you when I'm in inside."

He didn't wait for a response, and he didn't get one, as he simply grabbed what he needed and patted Soobin on the back as he exited the vehicle, "I'll see you soon."

Soobin nodded, "Good luck!" He called after him as he left, walking around the empty alleyway to the main entrance of the ice cream place, which was obviously closed. It was the middle of the night. That didn't mean Wooyoung couldn't get in. He could break into the place.

Just because he worked for the government didn't mean that he never bent the rules a little. It just meant that in the situation that he was caught for breaking a few rules, he'd be given a full pardon if his reason was genuine and in accordance with other events.

He took out his lock opener from his pant pocket, realising smugly that the lock was quite a simple one to pick. It took less than a minute for Wooyoung to get in, and he told Soobin as much as soon as he did.

He kept his voice low, navigating between the tables and heading straight to the kitchen, because Mingi had called the place odd, so he figured he'd start off there.

"2410 here. Can you hear me, 1008?"

Hongjoong answered him, "Yes. Where are you?"

"I'm heading for the kitchen," he replied, going to the door, puzzled when it was locked. If that wasn't suspicious, he didn't know what was.

He grabbed his miniature flashlight, shining it on the lock by holding it under his elbow as he worked, this time with no streetlights to help him out. It was obvious that that one was a little harder to work open, but it wasn't impossible. It took a little longer than the front door, but Wooyoung's skilled hands managed the job well enough.

"I'm in," he said.

"Copy that. It's twenty minutes to midnight."

Wooyoung took a deep breath before going into the dark kitchen, risking turning his flashlight up a little brighter, and at the same time, also thankful that he had the ability to adjust the brightness.

He looked around, not seeing anything suspicious. It was just a few refrigerators, as one would expect any ice cream place to have. And a bunch of a other normal stuff that he ignored.

He turned around, pointing the flashlight at the way he'd come from, heart thundering in his chest.

 _You're doing this for Yeosang. For San,_ he told himself, forcing his hands to stop shaking in their nervousness, as he peered around the room carefully.

He pointed it near the back of the room, the only seemingly empty spot between a fridge and a fondue table. It seemed like a plain, normal wall at first, but his trained eye didn't miss the the slight calluses and jutting out of the very edge, like...like it would open.

He held back his gasp, "Here, 2410. I think I've found something weird."

"2416 here," Yunho replied, "What is it?"

"I'm checking. It's in the kitchen," he said, placing the flashlight between his teeth, even through the mask, as he pulled on a pair of gloves, moving forward to nudge at the end of the wall. It didn't move or do anything strange, and Wooyoung had just about given up, when he noticed a groove in the corner, just where someone could place their fingers.

It was small, barely visible, but its purpose was obvious. Wooyoung swallowed thickly, regretting his decision to forego drinking much water before he'd left so that he wouldn't have the urge to pee. It didn't take him long to realise that he was going to have to manage a dry throat as well.

He placed his right hand in the groove, fingers fitting the space perfectly, and pulled.

It gave.

"It's 2410. I've found something like a secret door in here," he said, "What's your status?"

"2411 here," Mingi replied, "It's almost midnight, so leader has told us to cut off comms soon. We will speak only for emergencies. Other info can be shared with your operator."

"Copy that," Wooyoung replied, "Good luck."

"You too."

Wooyoung took a deep breath and nudged the door open, pushing it inwards. He looked around a little, and placed a broomstick in the gap so it wouldn't close, before stepping inside, shining his flashlight ahead of him.

It was like a...path? No, a tunnel, maybe. It curved a little to the right, and there was a clear downward slope, after which his sight was obscured due to distance.

It took a hardly a moment of consideration before Wooyoung made his choice, heading forward along the pathway, keeping in touch with Soobin in low tones the whole time.

He came to a sort of empty area, a little wider than the rest of the passage, and looked ahead, grimacing at the amount of dust in the corners. Ahead of him, was a metal door.

_Who the hell even uses metal for doors nowadays?_

Wooyoung inhaled, too nervous to say anything before, advancing cautiously towards the door.

He placed his flashlight in his belt, leaving it on, before venturing forward, examining the door. It was clearly strong, made of an alloy of aluminium or iron. It had one of those safe-like openings, something the looked like a ship's wheel right in the centre of the door. It wasn't just that. The wheel was like the dial of an old telephone, the kind that had to be turned around. There were numbers from zero to nine, all around the wheel.

It didn't take a genius to figure out what it was.

There was obviously a password. He sighed, rolling his eyes. It just _had_ to be that complicated, huh?

He suppressed the urge to groan out loud, too afraid to speak, and placed his hands on the wheel, trying to turn it a little.

_Whoosh._

Wooyoung whipped around, his heart clenching in fear as he pointed his flashlight ahead of him, looking around to see where he'd heard the sound from.

It was just darkness.

Wooyoung shivered, before turning around again, dismissing the sound he'd heard as a gust of wind. He was still terrified, though, and this time, he took the risk of talking, "Hey, it's me," he told Soobin through his earpiece, "Um...I'm in front of this metal door, and it- _ah!_ "

A thump.

Pain. It was hurting. Definitely hurting.

And that was the last thing Wooyoung registered, before everything went black.

*****

Mingi couldn't help feeling like something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

He trusted Hongjoong, he trusted his judgement completely, but something still felt off. He didn't want to agitate anyone anymore than they already were, though, so he stayed quiet.

The problem was...it had been silent for way too long. It was already three minutes past midnight, and there had been absolutely no activity, from what he could see. According to the guy who'd called, he should have already been here by now, and something or the other must have taken place, but it just seemed... empty.

He nervously adjusted his mask and shook his hair out of his eyes, "1008," he called, "It's 2411."

"Yes?" Came the response.

"It's too...quiet, don't you think? Shouldn't something have happened by now?" He asked.

"Well, maybe it's just-" he was cut off by another sound in his ear.

_Yeonjun._

"Guys, there's someone coming your way. Towards the leader. Keep alert," he said in Mingi's ear, and he shut himself up at once, making sure not to say anything to alert whoever it was about his presence.

Mingi was hidden behind a bush, not a very great hiding place, but it was the only one someone of his stature and height could find, like Yunho, who was crouching behind a wide pillar, making himself as small as possible. Hongjoong was in plain sight, hanging around the area with San's tracker in hand. Jongho was at the rear, a little further away from the rest of them, and carrying enough weaponry to take out an army. His inhuman strength really came in handy in these situations.

"Jung Wooyoung!" A voice announced, "and Choi San! You must have been waiting..."

Mingi squinted his eyes, and could barely just make out a blurry figure in the dark, walking in front of Hongjoong.

"Hey," Hongjoong said, "Wooyoung....couldn't make it."

The other man scoffed, "What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, booming voice jarring in the quiet, "And Choi San isn't here, I see. How is that possible, since-"

Hongjoong held up the device in his hand, "You mean this?"

The man was clearly surprised by the action, and he stepped back in confusion. Hongjoong seized the opportunity at once, and pulled out his gun, pointing it straight at him, "Hands where I can see them!" He ordered, "I will not hesitate to shoot."

To Mingi's utter shock, the man laughed. A loud, full-blown laugh, "Oh, this is good," he slowed down to a deep chuckle, "We don't get Choi San, and we kill your man. It's as simple as that, Leader-ssi," he quipped, tilting his head to the side. He was wearing a black mask and a cap on his head, so it was impossible to make out who he was, or discern anything at all.

"Where's Yeosang?" Hongjoong pressed on, not getting deterred by the man's confidence, "Where is he?"

"Oh, him. Well, it doesn't matter now. He will be dead as soon as this exchange is over, anyways."

Mingi shivered at the threat. He wondered how Hongjoong was keeping so calm, and why he hadn't called for the rest of them, yet.

Hongjoong's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward, clicking the gun, "Where. Is. Yeosang?" He gritted out, clearly not playing around.

"He's...somewhere in there," the man gestured to the warehouse behind him, turning around just the slightest bit, but it was enough of an opening for Hongjoong.

"Now!" He yelled, and the three other agents moved from their places at once, flanking around the area and surrounding the surprised man. Mingi stood his ground firmly, gun out and pointed staight ahead.

The man looked around at the four of them, perplexed for a second, before he grinned maniacally, "You wouldn't kill me," he taunted, "I know where Kang Yeosang is, so you wouldn't dare."

"Just try us," Yunho lowered his gun to point at the man's chest, and for the first time, a flash of fear passed through his gaze.

"Fine then," he said, lifting both his arms above his head.

Mingi should have noticed then. He should've noticed the little black box in the guy's hand. He should've been more alert.

But it was already too late.

He smirked, throwing the box on the ground to his side.

_Bang!_

It exploded, causing a huge noise and throwing off enough debris and rubble to make it impossible for Mingi to venture any closer. He heard a scream, and then a panicked yell. He didn't know whose it was.

His vision was blurred, and the smoke from the explosion made his eyes and throat hurt. His heart thundered in his chest, and he coughed, choking on the polluted air. His skin felt hot, and his body felt jelly-like and weak. Everything hurt.

But he was okay. He knew he was okay, maybe a little burned, but fine. He sheathed his gun again, trying to see through the endless mass of rubble and smoke, tears burning his eyes.

The man who'd been there just a minute ago was gone without a trace, disappeared within the smoke and ash. Mingi didn't want to think about what might have happened to him.

Another thing drew his attention. There was someone lying on the ground just ahead of Mingi, gun discarded next to his own body and blood leaking from his ear and nose, face ashy and pale, blisters forming on his fingers and palms. His whole body was still, and he was dirtied by smoke and ash, greyish tint to his skin making Mingi feel queasy.

_Jongho._

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof I'm sorry don't hurt meeeeeee
> 
> P.S.: Btw Wooyoung's agent number, 2410, is ATEEZ's debut date😉 just slipped it in there, and Hongjoong's, 1008, is supposed to mean 'eight makes one team' xD just a little self-indulgence on my part 💖 
> 
> Sooooo...leave kudos if you liked it, subscribe, and let me know your thoughts leaving a comment down below!! Please point out any mistakes you find as well, and if there are any plot holes as the story progresses. I wanna make sure everything works out well so🤭🤭 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongjoong walked around the table to the other side, leaning over Taehyun to inspect what he'd penned down.
> 
> And oh god, he'd been right.
> 
> How could he have missed this?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!😁
> 
> I'm back with chapter 16!! Thanks for the overwhelming support so far, y'all are da best 😭❤️ 
> 
> So...read it and let me know what you think!! Leave kudos, subscribe to follow the story, and comment below😁 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Wooyoung groaned in pain as he came to, "Ow," he blinked, trying to move his hand to hold his throbbing skull. It didn't budge. He squinted at the light, tugging his other hand upwards. That one didn't move either.

 _Why am I immobile? Where am I? What's going on?_ The questions were endless, making his already hurting head only get worse.

He managed to screw his eyes open, ignoring the pain enough to look around him. That was when he heard the odd, clinking sound. He looked down in confusion, and to his horror, saw that his hands were cuffed to the chair he was seated in, rendering him immobile. His feet were tied together, and his jacket, weapons, and belt, including his badge and other things he had had on his person, were all gone.

He knew it was futile to try and struggle out of his restraints, so he chose to calm himself down first, taking a few deep breaths before looking around him again, trying to find some sort of clue about where he was and what was going on.

It was a simple, empty room, walls painted a dull grey, but it was collecting cobwebs and the paint was peeling off at the corners. It was obvious that it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. Wooyoung himself was seated tied to a wooden chair, in the middle of the room, arms hurting and head throbbing. It definitely wasn't just from a headache. He'd probably been hit over the head before having been brought there.

He finally let himself take the risk of using his voice, "Okay, what the hell is going on?" He demanded loudly, one hundred per cent sure that someone would surely be listening in, considering the camera in the corner of the room with the steady red LED pointing right at him.

It seemed as if his assumptions were true, because barely a few seconds later, the door was being shoved open, creaking sound making it obvious just how out-of-maintainance everything was.

A woman stepped in, carrying a folder tucked under her arm. She was well past her prime, and looked like she was skirting the edge of fifty, but still held a sort of grace, a regal aura that drew attention to herself. She walked towards Wooyoung, glasses perched on her nose, "Jung Wooyoung-ssi," she said, in a surprisingly deep, smooth voice.

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes, "What's going on? Where am I and how did I get here?"

She placed the folder on the ground, before reaching into her pant pocket and pulling out a key, walking around to Wooyoung's back, "Don't make any moves. You will do exactly as I say."

Wooyoung was about to refute firmly, when he felt her place both hands on his cuffed wrists, turning the key in the lock, "Who are you?" He asked.

She came around to his front, holding the cuffs in her hands. She stared down at Wooyoung with a sort of mocking smile, as the agent thumbed at his sore wrists, wincing at the stiffness, "It doesn't matter who I am," she said, leaning down a little, "Where's San?"

"What?" Wooyoung had the thought of punching her, but he figured doing so wouldn't earn him any favours, so he held himself back.

"Where. Is. San?" She asked, enunciating every word.

Wooyoung scoffed, "Why would I just offer up that information to you?"

She stepped back, regarding him distatefully, "We asked you to bring us San yesterday, in return for your partner. Instead, we got tricked by your organization, and you have the audacity to come down here by yourself?" She let out a small laugh, "Tell me, Wooyoung-ssi. Do you think we are fools?"

The agent looked at her defiantly, "I did it to protect San."

"Oh, you think you're _protecting_ him from us?" She mocked, "That's cute."

"Who _are_ you?" Wooyoung asked again, this time more forceful.

"I told you it doesn't matter," she said, "not until we have San."

"Why are you even after him?" Wooyoung questioned, "What does he have that's so alluring, for you to want him this badly?"

"Oh, but Sannie has everything," she said with a smile, one that was awfully fond, a contrast from her previous, taunting smirk, "Sannie has always been ours, and you were always just too stupid to see it."

"What are you talking about?" Wooyoung spat, "And don't call him that."

"Why not? We've always called him that, you know."

Wooyoung's heart clenched in his chest, remembering San's words to him before he'd left, "What the hell are you talking about? What do you even want from him? He's innocent!"

The woman laughed, throwing her head back, "Oh, there's so much you don't know," she brushed her brown hair behind her ear, and sat down to open the folder she'd been carrying, taking out a syringe from it, "Now this won't hurt a bit," she said, before coming towards Wooyoung.

The latter flinched away, "Don't touch me."

"Tell Yeosang I say hi," she said, and that sentence threw off Wooyoung just enough for her to find an opening and strike, pushing the needle into his neck with a push on the back of the syringe.

The agent tried saying something, but his throat didn't work. He tried to move his hands, but still...nothing. He frowned, and it took all of three seconds for his eyes to shut, before he was slumping down in the chair, motionless.

The woman's laugh echoed in the room.

*****

Hongjoong hated himself for this.

Not only had he gotten Jongho landed in the infirmary, with severe burns and respiratory problems, he'd also gone ahead and screwed up their only chance at fixing things.

Not to mention, Wooyoung was gone.

He'd failed as a leader, as an agent, as a _hyung_ , and he hadn't missed Seonghwa this much ever before. It was like every breath he took required effort, the opposite of the way he felt with Seonghwa, like nothing could ever hurt him as long as he was there.

He felt like he needed to cry, let out all his frustrations, but it wasn't the time. Not when Wooyoung had gone missing, and the guy who'd caused the explosion may or may not be alive, which probably meant that they were screwed.

He didn't even know how the hell Soobin had lost Wooyoung. He'd reported that Wooyoung had gone through a secret tunnel in the kitchen of the ice cream place and the last thing he'd said was something about a metal door, before his device mysteriously- or not so mysteriously- disconnected. The strangest thing of all, was the fact that when Mingi and Yeonjun had gone there the next day with a court order to search every nook and cranny, they'd found no such tunnel, or door, or anything of the sort. It was obvious that whatever there was, had been sealed off.

So he could be _anywhere_ , just _anywhere_ and they had zero leads once again.

He just wished Seonghwa would message them again, maybe even call, with some more information. But at the same time, he also didn't want his lover to risk his own safety in order to help them speed up the process.

No, there had to be a better way.

And he could only think of one, despite the fact that he knew that Wooyoung would probably kill him for it. Or at least yell at him for several hours.

But Hongjoong figured he might as well take that risk, because they had no other choice at this point. Their only chance was to target the roots. To work up from the bottom.

So once he'd been reassured by Yunho that Jongho was okay, and that he'd be totally fine in a few days with just a scar or two that would persist, he called Mingi to propose his idea. He'd been thinking of it right from the beginning, but he'd only saved it as a last resort.

Well, it was now or never.

Mingi answered the call after two rings, "Hello?"

"Mingi, go to Wooyoung's apartment. San knows you, right?"

"Yeah..." he clarified, "where is this going, hyung?"

"Bring him here. Tell him Wooyoung's in trouble, and we need his help. He won't refuse that, surely."

"Oh, uh... okay," Mingi agreed, albeit a little hesitantly, but Hongjoong didn't budge. He needed to do _something_ , and if this was all his brain managed to conjure up, then so be it.  
  


San was nothing like Hongjoong had imagined him to be.

He was all sharp features and dark, feline eyes, but one dimpled smile changed his face completely, making him seem bright and innocent. He bowed to Hongjoong, biting his lip a little nervously, before straightening up.

Hongjoong decided he liked him.

"Hello," the leader said wih a welcoming smile, "I'm Hongjoong."

San nodded, "I'm San, but I'm sure you know that already," he turned to Mingi, "You- you said Wooyoungie's in trouble?" He asked, eyes wide.

Hongjoong sighed, "Sit down, San. We have a lot to talk about," he gestured to the other chair in the room, "and Mingi, you may leave. Go read through the report that's with Yeonjun, see if anything is missed out, and write your own as well."

"Yes hyung," Mingi answered, before obediently leaving the room, closing the door behind him to leave San and Hongjoong alone.

"So, San. I'm going to tell you right away that I cannot simply trust you," Hongjoong said.

The younger seemed taken aback, "But then...why did you call me here?"

"Because I need to know exactly how much you care about Wooyoung."

"But how is that relevant to-"

"Just answer me."

San drummed his fingers on the table, "Okay, um...I love him," he said simply, "I'm in love with Wooyoung."

Hongjoong hummed, "And that is the complete truth?"

San smiled a little, looking down with a slight flush on his dimpled cheeks. It reminded Hongjoong of his and Seonghwa's puppy love stage, when everything about the other would make him blush. He found San's shyness to be adorable, and now knew why Wooyoung had been attracted to him at all. San was exactly the younger agent's type. Sexy, handsome looks, but with a shy side and a personality that could put the sun to shame.

"Yeah," San said, pink tinting his cheeks, "I'd do anything for him."

Hongjoong nodded, "Good. So you'd be willing to jeopardize your own safety to get Wooyoung out of this mess? And Yeosang as well?"

San nodded with no hesitance, "Yes."

Hongjoong was satisfied with the firm response. It was obvious that he was speaking the truth. No one could fake a blush on their cheeks, or the way their mouth curved at the edges naturally, when a certain name was mentioned. No, San was definitely not lying to him. He loved Wooyoung with all his heart.

This meant that even though Hongjoong couldn't blindly trust the younger as Wooyoung had done, he could still be sure of the fact that San would take any risk to help his beloved, which was enough for him. It meant that San wouldn't betray him, as long as Wooyoung's safety hung in the balance.

"I have a plan to get Wooyoung and Yeosang to safety. I hope you are willing to co-operate. Let me warn you, it isn't something you can take lightly."

"I don't care how dangerous it is," San said firmly.

"Okay. Then I need you to start by doing one thing for me," Hongjoong instructed, "I need you to take Wooyoung's laptop and get inside. Out tech guy can help you with that. There will be a report, titled 'Case #3497', and you need to go through the whole thing. It will bring you upto speed with everything we have up until now."

San nodded, "I can do that."

"You may go," Hongjoong said, "Go to the room three doors to the right of this one. Ask for Yeonjun. He will take you home, and he will help you understand everything we have so far. You can come back here at night. You have classes tomorrow, if I'm right?"

"Yes sir."

"Okay. Then I will see you tonight."

San nodded, "I'm glad I can be of help," he stood up to bow one more time before exiting the office.

Hongjoong sighed as he left. He hoped he'd done the right thing, and he hadn't just screwed himself over by bringing San into it.

Well, it wasn't the time to dwell on it, anyway. The goal was for this to go well.

He ruffled some papers on his desk, mentally preparing himself to deal with the worst. He grabbed the phone and looked for a contact, calling the number and placing it to his ear, so that he could finish up the first part of the plan.

The person answered, "Hello?"

"Taehyun-ssi, this is 2410's boss. Are you free now?"

"Wha- why? What's wrong?" The other stuttered.

"I would like you to come down here. We need to talk," he replied, "There have been some... complications, and I feel that you could help."

"Oh- uh, okay," came the response, "I will be there in ten minutes."

"Good," Hongjoong said, and hung up, before clicking open a pen and beginning to write, planning to work until the other arrived.

He did, in about fifteen minutes, and knocked on the door timidly. The leader called for him to come in, and told him to take a seat. The younger boy complied, looking awfully nervous the whole time.

"Taehyun-ssi, hello. You may know me as 1008," he said, offering him a reassuring nod, "I've got a few questions for you."

"Am I in trouble?"

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, "Not if you answer honestly."

Taehyun nodded, relaxing a little when he realised that Hongjoong meant no arm.

"Is there anything you withheld from 2410 when you spoke to him? Anything at all? This could cost a lot of innocent people their lives, so if there's something you didn't say before, I'm giving you one last chance to come out with it," Hongjoong warned, expression set tight and serious to let the younger boy know that the current situation wasn't something to be taken lightly.

Taehyun shook his head, "No, I told him everything."

"Can you repeat all that you said?" Hongjoong requested, grabbing a pencil and his notepad.

"Okay..." He recited everything he'd told Wooyoung before, the leader interjecting here and there with a few questions.

"And how did you divide your work?" Hongjoong asked.

Taehyun shrugged, "Well, the ring guy told Beomgyu that he was making things easier, and he divided the work _for_ us."

The leader raised his eyebrows, intrigued, "So if I give you a map of Seoul, you can trace the areas each of you covered for me?"

Taehyun nodded, "I think so."

With his heartbeat loud in his chest, hoping against hope that this would finally get him somewhere, give him some answers, Hongjoong quickly printed up a map of Seoul with the printer in the room, handing it to Taehyun along with a pencil.

"Mark the areas each of you covered with different symbols, so that it's easier to analyse. Can you do that?"

The younger boy nodded, turning the map around to his side and accepted the pencil from the agent, getting to work.

Hongjoong stayed silent, letting him think, while he looked over his notes so far, and anxiously drummed his fingers on the table.

"Okay," Taehyun announced after seven or eight minutes, "I think I'm done."

Hongjoong walked around the table to the other side, leaning over the map to inspect it.

And oh my god, he'd been right.

There really _was_ something they'd been missing and this was _it_.

"Taehyun-ssi, thank you for your time. You may leave now. If I'm right, you and your friends will need police protection. I can call the local police station for you, and there will be undercover policemen or policewomen stationed outside your houses," At Taehyun's shocked expression, he added, "Don't panic, this is just a precautionary measure. To make sure you stay safe. Leave your digits with the receptionist at the lobby downstairs, he will make sure that the police is alerted."

Taehyun still looked terrified, but Hongjoong wasn't about to berate him for that, not when he'd probably just scared the life out of a young boy, "O- okay," he stuttered, turning around and leaving the room.

Hongjoong sighed, sitting in his own chair and looking at the map of Seoul in front of him.

And right there, in the form of little stars that Taehyun had marked, was a route of its own, going right from the ice cream shop, past San's apartment, past the local subway, and all the way to...the warehouse.

It was just too perfect. The line of skulls weaved right through the roads of Seoul, and created a sort of map, so that anyone who started at the ice cream shop and knew what to look for, would end up at the final destination, which was the warehouse.

But from the way Soobin had described it, and considering the fact that the warehouse had seemed completely deserted on the outside, Hongjoong was fairly sure that this meant the existence of some underground path or tunnel, or maybe even bunkers at the marked spots.

He grabbed his phone to make some calls.

Finally, they were one step ahead.

*****

When Wooyoung opened his eyes, what he didn't expect was to be completely free of chains or restraints, seated on the floor in some room. It was different than the place he'd been held at before.

"Wooyoung!"

Wait, _what?_

Was he dreaming?  
  
He said it out loud, "Am I dreaming?"

Yeosang came towards him, looking tired, but wearing a gentle smile, "No, it's really me. And really you."

Wooyoung's eyes widened, tears filling them instinctively, "Oh my god," he breathed in a shocked daze, launching himself towards his best friend and throwing his arms around him, "Yeosangie!" he cried, tears of relief spilling from his eyes and into his partner's neck, the other soothing him with a hand on his back, but holding back tears of his own as well.

"How are you? Are you okay? What happened? Where are we? What about-"

"Woah, slow down," Yeosang said, pulling back from their embrace, but still gently holding each other, as if to remind themselves that it was real, "There's a lot I have to tell you. Some of it now, and some later," he said, "But first, I need to know. Is San safe?"

Wooyoung frowned, cuddling closer in Yeosang's arms, sniffing a little, "You know San?"

Yeosang coughed, clearing his throat, "Anyone who's been in the place in the past five years probably knows him, Wooyoung-ah," he said, "They talk about him a lot, you know."

"They? Who's 'they'?" Wooyoung had stopped crying now, but his eyes were still red and a little itchy. He was too comfortable in Yeosang's arms to rub at them, though, so he just put up with the annoying itch.

"How about I just start at the beginning?" Yeosang asked.

"Okay," The younger consented, "I'm just really happy to see that you're okay. I missed you," he said.

"I missed you too, but this is hardly a happy retuinion," Yeosang pointed out, "For one, we're locked up in what is, essentially, a dungeon."

'Dungeon' was probably the most apt name that could be given to the bare, empty room with rough, cemented walls and flooring. At least it was cleaner than the other one he'd been in. There was a single door on the opposite side, and a bed with a water bottle next to it, probably Yeosang's.

"Have you been here the whole time?"

Yeosang got a sudden, distant look in his eyes, "Almost escaped once," he said, "But they found me, tied me up. Now they let me stay free of cuffs or ropes as long as they're sure I won't pull anything."

Wooyoung grimaced, "That's awful."

Yeosang sighed, "There's a lot more that you should know," he said, before crossing his legs comfortably, letting Wooyoung lean against his chest as he spoke, "It all started at my parents' place..."

As Yeosang told him about everything, from the beginning, Wooyoung listened with rapt attention, not wanting to miss a single word.

"My mom was feeling better, so I wanted to come home early, when I received a text. It said that you were in trouble, and if I wanted you back safe, I should go to that warehouse place instead of ours. So I did. I went there. Turns out, that was just a ruse.

"Someone came to me and distracted me, and then I was drugged and brought in here, handcuffed. They kept me without food for almost two days, but then they began feeding me and giving me water. About three days later, Toothless showed up," he said.

Wooyoung heaved a sigh of relief at that part, "How'd you know how many days, if you were just locked up in here?"

Yeosang gestured to the tiny window in the corner of the room, allowing sunlight in, "That. And the fact that they fed me twice a day, and turned off the light at exactly ten thirty every night," he explained, keeping his voice low for obvious reasons.

"Anyway, I was here for a while, and they kept discussing things about someone named San, saying something about how he would come soon, and he would solve everything. I'm not sure what all of it meant, but Toothless gave me an idea of what was going on with you, and I connected the dots. It made sense, that they would keep me here to get to you.

"And, well, I guess that's about it. I haven't even _met_ anyone here, and they just open the door to slide in food and water, I don't even know who. I just hear them talking outside. And then, today, you showed up. So I think I'm gonna need some explaining from you as well."

Wooyoung nodded, "Yeah...I really owe you an explanation."

He felt horrible.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, and the heavy feeling in him lightened a little, as if it had been the simple words that were holding him back from bursting into sobs, "I'm so sorry, Yeosang," he repeated, fat tears rolling down his red cheeks, "I'm a terrible partner, and a terrible friend."

Yeosang looked surprised, running a hand through Wooyoung's hair comfortingly, "Hey, hey, don't cry," he consoled, "Why are you saying you're sorry to me?"

Wooyoung looked up at him and sniffed, snot clogging up his nostrils and making him sound nasally, "Because I let you get into this mess, and the one time I thought I could do something right and get you out, I ended up getting caught along with you," the admission caused a fresh wave of tears to overcome him, hiding his face in Yeosang's neck and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Wooyoung," Yeosang said firmly, "Listen. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Now that you're here, the others _know_ where you are, right?"

Wooyoung's eyes widened, and he looked up, "That's right. They know I'm here," hope caused his heart to beat a little faster, "They know _exactly_ where we are. I was talking to Soobin about three seconds before I got hit over the head and brought in here."

Yeosang nodded, "So where are we?"

Wooyoung frowned, "Well, I did get in here from an ice cream shop, you know the place where we found Taehyun? There was a- a secret door in the kitchen, in the back, and it led...." His eyes widened as he turned around slowly, "Shit, I think we're underground, somewhere."

Yeosang sighed, "Yeah, I figured, from what Toothless said, but I didn't know exactly where until you just told me," he said.

Wooyoung nodded, biting his swollen lip, "And what about him? Toothless?" He asked.

"Oh, he comes by after ten thirty each night, to tell me what he knows, and he makes sure I've eaten and stuff, you know, his usual 'mom' agenda," Yeosang explained, and Wooyoung had never been so thankful for Seonghwa's parental tendencies, "But he also said that he wouldn't tell me much, because in case someone did come to me and tried to force me to give them information, he didn't want for me to know too much. So he didn't mention where he is, or anything very important. I just know your side of the story, so far."

"Wait, so you know what's been going on with us?"

Yeosang shrugged, "Mostly. Hyung doesn't leave out much from what he tells me about your progress. He keeps tabs on you guys, but sort of in secret. He told me about San, and that you and him were, _ahem_ , getting a little cosy-"

Wooyoung cut him off, "He told you we had sex?! How did he know that?!"

Yeosang scrunched his nose in disgust, "Why would I want to know? As long as you didn't have sex on my bed, it's fine. Plus, I'd rather talk about anything in the _world_ , than my best friend's sex life, so can we please move on?"

Wooyoung blushed red and nodded, "Go ahead," he mumbled.

"Well, he told me that you guys found some leads, and that he told you to come to the warehouse. He also said that San was in danger, I'm not sure why, but he doesn't seem to know either. He just said that if everything he'd heard was true, then San is completely screwed over if those people take him. And then...he said something about tracking chips, and then a _lot_ about how he misses Hongjoong-hyung."

Wooyoung sighed, "So you know everything that I do. I still don't know how it went with the others, though..." He suddenly realised something, "Oh god, what if their plan didn't work out? What if they're also caught somewhere like we are? What if-"

"But what if it _did_ work out, and they're on the way to get us out of here right now?" Yeosang mused, "We don't know anything until Toothless tells us tonight. Or at least until something else happens..."

Wooyoung opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out, there was a loud click, and the door opened.

"That's a first," Yeosang frowned, "It's early for food, or anything else- _oh_..."

Someone stepped inside the room.

A man, wearing an expensive suit, and a cruel sneer on his slightly wrinkled face. He was a little older than the woman Wooyoung had seen before, with a head of salt and pepper hair and a crude, red-brown scar on his neck.

What drew attention the most was that he clearly was not Korean, the curve of his eyes, and deep double eyelids making it obvious that he was a foreigner, as well as the natural tan of his skin, darker than the average Korean.

"Hello, boys," he said in perfect Korean, smiling way too happily, "I thought it was time we got a little better acquainted."

Yeosang and Wooyoung instinctively stood, staring down the stranger defiantly, "Who are you?" Wooyoung asked, voice echoing a little in the room.

The man clapped his hands together, "Well, I'm a little offended that you don't know me, Wooyoung-ssi. I thought you'd have cracked the puzzle by now, hm?"

And then it dawned on him.

"You're Kim Ethan."

The man smiled again, "Oh, look at that, you do know me," he exclaimed, stepping inside the room and getting to someone outside.

Wooyoung saw the same woman from before, the one who had drugged him, come into the room, holding something behind her.

And then she was inside the room, and they could see what was behind her.

Yeosang and Wooyoung gasped at the same time, tears springing to Wooyoung's eyes. Tears of despair, and of shock.

"Hyung!" Wooyoung cried, heart racing furiously in his chest.

Kim Ethan addressed Wooyoung, "Oh, he isn't going to talk for now. He's out cold," he said dismissively.

And Yeosang was still frozen in place, eyes wide and heart stuck in his throat, preventing him from uttering a single word.

And from where he was leaning heavily on the woman, Seonghwa fell to the ground with a resounding 'thump'.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'm a terrible person I know 🤪🤪🤪 
> 
> Andddd I'd really like it if you guys could let me know if there are any big plotholes so far that I need to explain, so that everything evens out 👀
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this chapter down below, and what you're looking forward to from the next one!! 😁
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hongjoong's head fell into his hands, and tears and snot covered his face as he sobbed in devastation.
> 
> _No._
> 
> _How could he have let this happen?_
> 
> _How could he-_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! 
> 
> Oh wow I can't believe that this fic has received so much support?? Like??? Wow, over 7k hits???!!!😵😵😵😵😵 Thank you guys so much omg
> 
> Here's chapter 17!!! 
> 
> WARNING: this one's a fucking wild ride, so you can't say I didn't warn you before lol but don't worry I'll update the next one soon 💖
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Hongjoong had sent Mingi off on a sort of mission, to find out if Taehyun's drawings had been accurate. So far, he hadn't received any sort of confirmation from him.

He went through all the available surveillance footage near the ice cream shop another time, to check if he'd missed _something_ that would give them a clue about what the hell was going on, and how a door had magically disappeared into thin air.

He sighed for the hundredth time, pushing papers away from the front of his desk and letting his head fall in his hands, groaning at the terrible ache in his head, caused by more than just his sinuses.

There was a knock on the door, and Hongjoong mumbled a "come in", without raising his head.

The door clicked open, "Hongjoong-ssi?" It was San.

The leader looked up, letting his hands fall into the table, "Call me hyung. Did you go through everything?"

"Yes," San said, and there was something in his expression, something uncomfortable and sort of hesitant, something that hadn't been there that morning, and it prompted Hongjoong to ask.

"What happened?" He was sure that something had indeed happened, because that expression couldn't have placed itself on San's face for no reason whatsoever.

He was right.

San bit his lip, "There's a mistake in the report," he said, almost as if he was doubting it himself.

Hongjoong frowned. He hadn't noticed anything wrong with the report when he'd looked over it, "What?"

San nodded, "There has to be. That isn't right. He isn't-" he stopped himself, taking a deep breath before speaking again, "The picture of Jeong Minhee....that wasn't him."

Hongjoong's frown etched deeper, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the Jeong Minhee I know, the one who used to come over to my house all the time, that's not the man in the picture. Not at all," he said, producing a folder from under his arm. He flipped it open to the page with the background checks, and pointed at the picture of Jeong Minhee, "That definitely is not the same man that I know."

Hongjoong's eyes widened, "So you're saying...the person who died here, who killed himself, everything, that guy isn't Jeong Minhee?"

San hummed, "I'm afraid so."

"But that- that isn't possible," he stuttered, "There were records, he worked here for _years_ , he didn't even disappear all that long ago. You have to be mistaken."

San shook his head, "I'm positive. And if your man really is Jeong Minhee, then the man I know is not the same person," he said, "That guy I knew had black hair, and he didn't look too.... Korean. I asked him about that once, and he said he had a foreign mother, and he got most of her genes which made him look that way."

"He wasn't...Korean?"

"If he was, he didn't look like it."

Hongjoong had a thought, and he cursed, "You're probably talking about Kim Ethan."

"But I don't know who-"

"It doesn't matter that you don't know the name, San. What matters is that you knew the person. It's got to be him. There's no one else I can think of. And since Jeong Minhee's data is completely verified because of all the years he worked here..." He trailed off, the tail of the sentence hanging in the air like moisture waiting for a cold surface to pounce on and cling to.

San looked thoroughly uncomfortable, itching at his own right arm that had previously been bound in a cast, "That's not all."

"What is it?" The leader asked, eager to get all the pieces of the puzzle before Kim Ethan got to San.

"I also know who Kim Kyungran is."

"You...do?"

San nodded, "Yeah, but I didn't know she had anything to do with these people. I thought she was just a doctor."

"A- a doctor?" That didn't make sense. Her file had said that she hadn't studied past high school.

"Yeah, a psychiatrist. She used to come home to see my mom because of her stress," San explained, "I thought she was just my mom's doctor, not someone working for SCAR, or whatever, so I didn't mention it to Wooyoung..."

"But she never went to college," Hongjoong countered, "How could she be a doctor?"

San shrugged, "I don't know all that. I just remember that she used to come home and-"

The phone rang, cutting him off. Hongjoong gave up on trying to nurse his growing headache, answering the call with a gesture for San to stay put, "Hey, Mingi."

"Hyung, it's here. Everything is here. The kid was right. There is a perfect route if you follow all the skulls with the red paint used as highlights. I'm a few hundred meters away from the warehouse, but it's obvious that this trail leads there."

The throb in his head evaporated a little, "Thank god," he sighed in relief, "I don't think I could've handled any more confusion today."

"What should I do now, hyung?"

"Come back here," Hongjoong instructed, "No one from the team is going home today unless we find out something useful. San is now under our protection 24x7."

Mingi consented, and hung up the call, leaving Hongjoong to look at San again.

"Kim Kyungran is mentally unstable, San. I would let you speak to her, but I don't think that's a viable option right now. I would prefer it if you stayed the night here. Don't worry, you can still attend your classes tomorrow."

San shook his head, "I can skip classes for a few days, it's fine."

"No, it's not fine. You have to go," he insisted, "We need some normalcy to be maintained around here. It's what Wooyoung would want."

San's expression deflated at the mention of Wooyoung, obviously heavily impacted by the situation. Hongjoong could relate, so he let San wallow in his heavy silence for a while before he spoke, only out of necessity.

"San...you went through everything in that report?"

"Yes."

"Them you do realise how dangerous all of this is? For you and for Wooyoung, Yeosang and Seonghwa?"

"I do," he said.

Hongjoong shook his head, "No, I don't think you do. You'll need to learn a lot of things in a very short span of time if you want my plan to work, and you'd be in a lot of danger. Do you understand?"

"I'd do anything for Wooyoung," he said defiantly, much like the way he'd spoken that afternoon, "I love him."

Hongjoong's laptop beeped, and one look at the screen told him that he'd received an email from Yeonjun.

He looked it over, seeing if it was what he'd asked for, and was satisfied with the content, adrenaline rushing at the idea that they were finally going to be able to do something.

He smiled despite his throbbing skull, "It's showtime."

*****

The thump as Seonghwa fell to the ground was enough to snap Wooyoung and Yeosang out of their shocked haze, as they surged forward to check on their hyung.

They were stopped, however, by the large man whom they now knew as Ethan, standing in their way like a barricade.

"Move," Yeosang grit out, hands clenched into angry fists.

Ethan tilted his head, almost amused by Yeosang's harsh temper, "He will be fine," he said, "Just unconscious for a few hours. And it's not him we want to talk about, it's...Choi San."

Wooyoung held Yeosang back, one palm curling around his bicep firmly, "Wait," he told Yeosang, who was in the process of advancing forward to clock Ethan in the face, "Let's at least get some answers before doing anything rash."

Ethan gave them a broad smile, "Listen to the twink," he said, "He seems to have understood."

Yeosang snapped his furious gaze to him, "Don't call him that. You can talk, and you can leave. Just don't hurt Seonghwa-hyung."

Ethan smirked, "Oh, I'm not going to hurt him," he said, "I'm going to do much worse, but that isn't the point right now. Take a seat boys, and let's talk business, shall we?"

Reluctantly, the two of them sat on the bed at the back of the room, and watched as the woman rearranged Seonghwa's form so he was sitting up with his neck against the wall, head lolling forward, still out cold. She then scurried out of the room and returned with a simple plastic chair which she placed in front of the bed for Ethan to sit. He sat, acknowledged her with a nod, and she promptly left the room with a bow, leaving them alone.

Ethan crossed his arms, sitting back, "So Wooyoung, and Yeosang. I think you know what we want?" It came out more like a question than a statement, and Wooyoung was quick to answer, not wanting Yeosang to screw things up for them by introducing his harsh tongue into the conversation. He wanted it to be as civilized an interaction as possible, hopefully one that would involve no violence or bloodshed, and would end with Seonghwa and San's safety.

"You want San," he said, "But why?"

"Would you like the short version or the long one?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued to speak, "Oh well, I think I'll compromise. Give you a bit of both."

He wrapped his own right palm over his other elbow, a sharp glint catching Wooyoung's eye. It was the skull ring on his finger, harsh and sharp in the dim light of the room, "We want San, because...well, because, what's not to want? He's a good kid. Obedient."

At the perplexed glares he received in response, he continued, "It all started with SCAR. Or lack thereof. The organisation was formed to supply inside information to other countries, and for mass drug deals, as you know. But the story goes deeper than that, yes.

"You see...SCAR never really died," he said with an awfully excited smile, as if all of this was amusing to him, "We merely staged it, by naming one of our men as the leader, one who was willing to die for us. There never really was a leader of SCAR," he chuckled, "In fact, the name SCAR was given by my late wife, Yoona, for our daughter who was scarred that way just a few hours after birth, a cruel mark that is to remain for her whole life."

"Kim Kyungran," Wooyoung breathed in realisation.

He nodded, "Yes, her. SCAR was a- a fake group, a simple decoy, for us to really get back what we wanted. And that was freedom. Freedom from the clutches of the wretched government, that believes in the law above all, and where justice presides over morality."

"Morality?" Yeosang parroted incredulously, "What part of 'international drug deals' involves morals?!"

"Shh, we can take the questions at the end," Ethan chided, "So where was I? Right, SCAR never really existed, you see. All of that was a huge stunt. Our publicity stunt to draw attention away from us until...we were ready to step out into the light. This place-" he gestured around them, "-is my masterpiece. Designed everything myself. This underground base was built over _years_ , with money from the drug deals and international affairs."

It was a crazy explanation. So much so, that it made perfect sense. SCAR had always been suspicious, and had awfully weird stories surrounding it. The death of the 'leader' had not caused the whispers to cease, it had not caused the rumors in the shadows to die down, and now it made sense why.

Before Wooyoung could ask where San fit into the picture, Ethan was speaking again.

"You've heard this, haven't you? From a few of your captives? 'The 'a' is gone, it is replaced by 'eo.'"

Wooyoung nodded, eager to understand despite his contempt for the situation, and the man continued, "I've always been a fan of Hangul. It's a beautiful language, Korean. Wondorous how flipping a single letter around does so much, hm?"

And then suddenly, it made sense to the agent. Yeosang seemed to have realised it too, if the gasp that emanated from his side was any indication.

Of course SCAR never existed, because it was a distraction, one huge mask. Masked by a letter flipped around. In the word 스칼 or SCAR, when the letter 'a' (ㅏ) is flipped around to make the letter 'eo', (ㅓ) it becomes 스컬 or Skull.

"You're called Skull," Wooyoung gasped, "That's why they were all saying that. Because that one letter was your mask, the curtain you were hiding behind. That explains the rings, and the drawings on the street."

Ethan raised his eyebrows, "Very good, Wooyoung-ssi," he complimented, "If you loved Hangul like I do, you would've figured this out a long time ago."

And Wooyoung didn't want to admit it, but he was right. If he'd focused on the literal meaning and letters of those words, and he hadn't thought of impossible metaphors or codes like he had, he might have been able to find out a lot more.

"So you're probably wondering, where does San fit into all this? That is quite the story, let me tell you. So I'm sure you know of his father, Choi Yeonseung. He was a dear friend of mine, and one of the first members of Skull. But then he betrayed us, when he began getting acquainted with that bastard Jeong Minhee, and as is our policy of no mercy, we outed him to the government, and he became the first one to be arrested. Then Minhee came to us, with a deal."

Wooyoung could feel that something big was coming up, something important, so he listened with rapt attention, hanging onto Ethan's every word.

"He offered to create an army for us, one that would easily follow his every whim, with no complaints. We spared his life if he got to work with us, and he even killed for us, proving his loyalty. It's a little sad that he's gone now, but I guess he served his purpose, because, Wooyoung-ssi, Jeong Minhee gave us San."

Wooyoung was appalled at the way they spoke of a man's life like it was a trivial matter; something that could be thrown away so easily, but he didn't interrupt, too curious to find out what he'd meant by that last part.

"You see, San has never been on your side. Never was. How do you think that a twenty one year old boy is able to afford an apartment and his college tuition all by himself? How do you think his contractor responded to him so easily? Who do you think pays for his father's debt and his mother's buisness funds?"

And it clicked.

Wooyoung gasped. He couldn't be telling the truth. It wasn't possible, "San works, his mother and noona work two and three jobs each to pay for everything, and he isn't paying me for staying at my place either. He used to work two jobs as well, he can take care of himself," he justified, challenging the other man to refute.

He simply laughed, "You haven't been to college, huh? That can't cover all his expenses, no way. No matter how smart or hardworking he is, there's still only so much he can do as a student. Oh, and how do you think he even got those jobs? No one would want to hire the son of a criminal. It was all our doing, Wooyoung-ssi. San owes us. And he will come to us if we ask. He owes it to his family. His father's only request to me was to keep him safe and healthy, and if paying for his very life is what it takes, then I will need some compensation of my own," he smirked, "So San is, and has always been ours. If you had asked the right questions, he might have even told you."

Wooyoung felt tears reach his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time in the past two days, shaking his head in disbelief and denial, "No, he can't be in on this. He- he _told_ me he isn't. I trust him-"

"Trust? Is that really even a valid emotion for an agent such as yourself, Wooyoung-ssi? Tch, they don't teach you that in school, I suppose. That you mustn't trust anyone you meet, _especially_ someone like San," he almost looked sympathetic, but Wooyoung refused to believe it, refused to believe that San would have anything to do with this horrible creature.

Yeosang was the one to hold him back with a strong arm around his waist this time, and Wooyoung, outraged, spoke through his tears, "I don't believe you. You're lying to me, so that I'll turn against San. He would never do that to me. He loves me, I..." He inhaled, tears breaking the wall and falling from his eyes, clinging to his eyelashes and reddened cheeks, "I love him..."

And oh god, it was true.

And the worst part was that the first time he'd said that, had been to the very man who'd made his life a living hell.

"A few tears and a love confession, no matter how heartfelt, aren't going to get me to lie to you out of pity, Wooyoung-ssi," Ethan snarled at him, and Wooyoung could see where Kyungran got her aggressive nature from, "San is on our side, and we help him. It's always been the case. Ever since he was sixteen and his dad landed up in prison, he's been ours. And when he gets here, brought by your own lackeys, he will come to us. He would do anything for us, trust me....oh, should I not say that word? Sensitive subject, _trust_ , isn't it?" He cackled, standing up from the chair and turning around abruptly, skull shaped ring glinting as he left.

He walked out of the room without another word, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it, even as Wooyoung stared after his back in barely concealed fury and shock.

"No..." he gasped, choking on his tears as they ran down his face and clogged his throat, moreso from shock than anything else. He didn't know how to believe it.

All that he'd just been told- it didn't make sense.

Oh but....it _did_ , he knew it did, and he didn't even know what to believe, what to _think_ anymore. His skull felt like it was being hammered in, and his tongue felt like deadweight in his mouth as he sobbed, rage and disbelief and sorrow and regret all combining to form one huge, drastic emotion.

Some would call it love.

Oh fuck, he was in love with San.

He _loved_ him.

San loved him too.

But San was lying....was he?

What...

And then his thoughts faded into nothing, eyes staring blankly ahead of him at Seonghwa's unconscious body, allowing Yeosang to hold him close as he ceased to _feel_ , the pull in his heart hardening to stone, to _diamond_. He'd need a substance so strong, so hard, that it would be able to crush the stone in his chest, in his heart, to let him feel again.

The only one who possessed that power was the very bane of his current thoughts, and the reason for all his pain. 

San.

_I don't know anymore._

_I just..._

*****

Of all people Hongjoong thought he'd be getting a call from that day, San's principal had not been on the list.

So when he did pick up his personal phone and received a greeting from a _principal,_ he wasn't exactly prepared for it.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" He asked, worried about the purpose for the call.

"Well, San is in my office at the moment, Hongjoong-ssi," she said, "I asked him whom I could call, and he gave us your name and number. You see, he was in a little trouble today."

"What happened?" He asked, nervous for the answer.

"I'll put him on the phone and let him talk to you. I suggest he doesn't attend classes for the week, and his work can be sent to him by email. We do not wish to risk the safety of any of the other students, when exams are just around the corner," Hongjoong couldn't believe all she was concerned about was the safety of the _other_ students, and not San's, who seemed to be the one in trouble. There was a little ruffling, and then San's voice came back to him.

"Hyung, it's me."

"San-ah, what happened? What did she mean about risking students' safety? Are you alright?" He bombarded him with questions, and San didn't protest, answering all of them patiently.

"Yeah I'm fine now. I was just on my way to the library for my shift, and I took a detour to the on-campus pool to hang out for a bit there before it was time for my shift," he explained, "But when I was there, some guy gave me a glass of juice that the others were drinking, but I realised it kind of smelt funny. When I poured a little of it on the ground, it was all fizzy and literally burnt a patch of grass away. I think- I think someone tried to kill me."

Hongjoong sighed, "I think I know what it was. Was the juice purple in colour?" When he received an affirmation, he asked, "Did it smell more like apples than grapes, though it looked like grape juice? And it had a musky undertone?"

San hummed, "Hmm, yeah that seems right."

"Shit, okay. That wasn't meant to kill you. It's actually a drug used to burn your throat a little and and knock you out. It's what we use to capture especially trying enemies. It does no permanent damage, but it helps to keep you quiet for a few hours if someone wants to take you away. Did you see who gave you the drink?"

San shrugged, "Not really, I wasn't facing that way, and they just shoved a glass in my hands and went "Drink this, everyone else is too," and by the time I turned, there was no one there. It was definitely a guy, though, because there's a separate pool for girls on the other side of campus, and girls aren't allowed at the boys' pool."

Hongjoong resisted the urge to curse, "I'm sorry I sent you to class. I never should have. I'll send someone there to pick you up, okay? Put your principal back on the phone."

She answered, "Hello. Yes, Hongjoong-ssi?"

He gave her a practised answer, "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience ma'am, I'll send someone to pick San up. I suggest you don't worry too much, because college students always pull harmless little pranks, and this one may have just gone a bit too far. You can do a random drug check if you'd like, just to be safe, but I'm sure it's nothing," he lied.

He knew that the principal didn't care much for San's safety, anyways, so he was hoping she wasn't going to insist on catching the culprit, or changing safety regulations, or something.

Thankfully, his assumption had been right. Clearly, the only thing she gave a fuck about was that her college maintained a good name, and if the way to do that was by keeping San away, she would. "Thank you," it was so obviously fake, but the leader took it in stride, "You may send someone to my office to pick San up. I'll keep him here until he has to leave. And I'm sure drug checks won't be necessary as long as San doesn't attend his classes for a while."

What a bitch.

"Okay, ma'am," he said, more politely than she deserved, "Thank you for your patience with San. We won't inconvenience you any longer."

And he hung up the phone, hurriedly calling up Yeonjun, "Oi, you free?" He asked, and when he received an affirmation, he briefly explained what had happened, and told the younger agent to go and pick San up and get him to HQ.

When San arrived in his office, Hongjoong's first instinct was to stand up and twirl him around, checking him for any bruises or marks.

"Woah, hyung. I'm not hurt, just kind of scared," San said, but allowed the leader to fuss over him, until he was allowed to pull away and sit down in front of him.

"You okay?"

San nodded, "Sorry for worrying you. I'm fine, I just thought I'd be safe in college, and I didn't expect someone to make such a direct attempt to take me away."

Hongjoong exhaled, "Yeah...I'm not letting you go to that place again until all of this stuff is cleared up."

San looked a little uncomfortable, "Um, I have my mid term after a fortnight, so I don't think I can afford to miss that. Do you think two weeks is enough for all of this to clear up?"

"I- I don't know, San. I have belief in this plan of ours. But we'll need a week to prepare for that, so you can say it'll at least be a week before you can go back to college, and that's putting it optimistically."

His work phone pinged, and he picked it up to check it, expecting a text from either Yeonjun or Yunho, or maybe even Eden.

What he didn't expect to see was a message from an unknown, blocked number.

He opened it curiously, wondering what it could be, and hoping with all his heart that it was Seonghwa texting him.

What he saw, however, made him drop the phone in his hands onto the desk with a resounding thud.

It took less than two seconds for him to process.

And then he broke down, heart shattering in his chest, reducing to tiny, micro-fragments that pierced his soul, bleeding him dry. There was no use trying to collect the pieces. They were destroyed forever.

Tears sprung to his eyes and the headache returned in full force. The muscles in his chest sent shocks of pain to the rest of his body, making him feel like he was being clawed by a beast from the inside out, taken apart by strong hands crushing his heart, squeezing it so all the blood drained out of him, leaving him lifeless. A shell of a person. Despair and sadness and shock and regret filled up every inch of his being, reducing him to helpless sobs, unable to do anything else with his heart being crushed inside his own chest. His head fell into his hands, and tears and snot covered his face as he sobbed in devastation.

_No._

_How could he have let this happen?_

_How could he-_

"Hyung? What's wrong? What's-" and San caught sight of the phone on the table, picking it up to look at the message.

 _ **Unknown**_  
_Bring San to us tomorrow. At dusk. To the same location as last time. It doesn't matter how many of you there are, we only want San. If you do not show, Wooyoung and Yeosang die. To know that we're willing to kill for San, here's a prelude._  
* _Image attached_ *

And the picture was one of Seonghwa, collapsed on the ground with cuffs binding his hands, and his head hanging low. His legs were twisted into a crouch, almost like he was just asleep.

But _oh_ , the blood. On his face, caking his hair. Dripping down his jacket and making the metal of his zipper shine with crimson. It was a gruesome sight, a man so beautiful, bathed in the crimson red of his own blood.

He was dead.

**Park Seonghwa, 22.**  
**Time of death- 1134 hours**

*****  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY PEOPLE SEONGHWA IS NOT DEAD!! 
> 
> Don't worry I didn't kill him, notice the lack of a Major Charcter Death warning, because there isn't one! 
> 
> You'll find out why and what really happened in the subsequent chapters 😁 
> 
> Leave comments down below and let me know what you thought!! Honestly, these comments keep me going, so fire away!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A man walked in front of them, "Oh hello," he said.
> 
> It was Kim Ethan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand hello!!!
> 
> I'm back with chapter 18!! Finally, here, you get some answers. Not all, but some xD and that's a start, right? The entire story is explained in 19, and 18 is sort of a prelude to the action, if you will 😝 
> 
> Oh, and it's the most amazing friend's birthday today, so I'm gonna @ her here so you guys can go check her out! 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/ll_crystal_lights_ll 
> 
> (Okay I'm not sure how to put links in there with html and it didn't work when I tried so here's this thing you can copy and paste lmao)
> 
> Okay guys, let me know what you think of this one in the comments!!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Mingi didn't know what to do.

Hongjoong hadn't spoken, hadn't eaten, hadn't slept, hadn't worked since that afternoon. It was past midnight, and all of them were staying back at HQ, with Yunho taking over Hongjoong's work, and Jongho, now completely healed, taking over Yunho's.

Yeonjun and Soobin were given 'San duty', and were in the process of explaining some things to him. Some parts of the old plan wouldn't work now, since they'd been asked to bring San there the next day. But there was still a lot he needed to know.

Mingi was trying to devise another plan, do something, _anything_ to help his distraught leader, broken over the death of his lover.

Of course, the rest of them were affected as well, scarred deeply by the shocking loss. Every one of them had been close to Seonghwa, the older easily taking on a motherly role in all of their lives. Mingi loved him, so, so much, and everything in him hurt, throbbed, at the thought that he wasn't around anymore to fuss over him and give him comforting hugs and cook for him in the middle of the night without question.

But someone had to be strong for everyone.

Yunho and Jongho were both in tears, crying even as they worked, staining the keyboard and desk with their tears.

When they'd first been called into the office by San, the last thing that they'd expected was that message. They'd hugged each other, cried until they couldn't anymore, and they were still obviously in pain, sniffing sounds and broken breaths sounding across Yunho and Mingi's office, where all of them were seated, since it was the most spacious, and would fit all of them.

Hongjoong, though, was the most affected.

He hadn't moved from the couch where he'd been seated down by Yunho and Mingi earlier. The moment he was sitting, he'd broken out into sobs again, stuffing his face into the couch cushion and only letting it go when Mingi gently warned him that the action could suffocate him.

He hadn't cried after that, simply letting out a broken whimper now and then; he brought his knees up and hugged them to his chest, tucking his face into the space between them. The only sign that he was even awake was the random sobs that emanated from that side of the room from time to time, everyone wordlessly agreeing to give him some time before he could function properly again.

So Mingi, even through his conflicting thoughts and heavy heart- despite wanting to mirror Hongjoong and just go numb- took charge, calling out to everyone, "Listen up!"

Everyone except the leader looked to him, eager to find something to do to distract themselves, that wouldn't remind them of the gruesome picture of a dead colleague.

"I'm going to need all of you to do what I tell you," he announced, and for once, he didn't feel like an imposter taking charge, no, he was Mingi, and he was doing this to help out his dear friends. If they needed to be told what to do, Mingi would step into the leader shoes and get over his own despair for a while, at least just until they got revenge for Seonghwa.

"Yunho, call Eden, tell him what we found out from Yeonjun's satellite pictures. Yeonjun, get San to help you, map a route, find exits, entrances, everywhere we can be, at all the landmarks right from the icecream place to the warehouse. Jongho, set up for tomorrow, because this time, we simply can't evade it. We have to do exactly what they ask," he said, "We need to do this for Seonghwa-hyung, for Wooyoung, for Yeosangie, and for San over here as well. Get to work, and this will be over soon. We can mourn our losses once we have avenged them."

The agents nodded, Yunho wiping his tears on his sleeve as he got to work, grabbing the nearest phone to call Eden and tell him everything. Yeonjun, San and Soobin beelined it to the computers, and Jongho left the office, jogging towards the weapons room.

Mingi was just about to begin his own work, when he heard a small, broken whisper from the couch.

"Mingi-yah...."

He turned, eyes wide, rushing towards Hongjoong and sitting next to him, "Hyung? Do you need anything?"

Hongjoong shook his head, weakly raising one hand to run it through Mingi's dark hair, "...thank you."

That made Mingi almost burst into tears again, but he bit his lip and placed a hand on Hongjoong's smaller one, lacing their fingers together on his own head, "You're welcome."

And then Hongjoong snapped out of it, sniffing as his already red eyes welled up again, and he turned away from Mingi, clearly wanting him to leave him alone.

The younger complied, heart breaking for his hyung, but also understanding that he needed to be by himself for a while.

He sighed heavily, the air thick with mournful tension, and finally settled down in front of his own laptop, having taken charge of trying to trace the message, so they could pinpoint the location even further, because somewhere a little more exact would be easier to search rather than the huge pathway they'd discovered underground which was over two miles long, thanks to Yeonjun's satellite imaging and surveillance footage over the years.

He took in a deep breath before opening the messaging app on his computer, quickly doing what he'd been trained to do, forcing himself to ignore the image of Seonghwa that had been sent to them, right next to the other messages that he was trying to track.

And that was when he noticed it.

The picture was... _l_ _ayered._

Like, the way a photo editor would create new layers to add or subtract details from a photo, or alter the colouring.

It was obvious only because the editing job wasn't too well-done. There were smudges around around Seonghwa's eyes, too unnatural to be just a trick of the light. And oh gosh, the blood that was everywhere, it looked almost....drawn-on. It didn't look real, and it didn't look like it was coming from anywhere either, it was just....blood. A few other details caught his eye, and he couldn't belive he'd missed this the last time he'd looked at the photo.

"Fuck," he cursed, "Yunho-yah, come here for a second, will you?"

The other man sniffed, wiped his eyes with his palm and walked over to Mingi's side, still clutching Hongjoong's phone, "Yeah?"

"Look here," Mingi turned the screen towards him, whispering to make sure no one else could hear them, "These are layers," he pointed, "Why would they do that?"

Yunho's eyes widened as he sat down slowly, next to Mingi, "We can reverse them and see the real picture, right?"

Mingi shrugged, "I hope so. Lemme check."

He got to work with Yunho next to him, pointing and guiding him at some places.

First, the blood came off. Then Seonghwa just looked like he was sleeping. Normal.

Then, the smudges around his eyes revealed that his eyes were actually open and not closed, life and sparkle still in them.

"Oh my god," They chorused on deep breaths, clutching their hands together tightly as they finished working on the picture, reversing all the changes that had been made.

The final change had them both gasping in their seats, turning to look at each other with wide eyes.

Because now, the picture showed Seonghwa, seated on the floor of a room with his hands cuffed, eyes open and bright, but still looking worried, mouth curled into a frown that they'd mistaken for one of pain before. He was looking towards the side of the room, where there were two other figures, revealed by the last click. Wooyoung and Yeosang were seated there, with Yeosang's arms wrapped around the younger, and Wooyoung's face tucked into Yeosang's neck, hands clutching at the older's shirt like it was a lifeline he was holding onto.

"We have to tell Hongjoong-hyung!" Yunho gasped softly, gesturing wildly with a small smile of his face, one of relief.

Mingi nodded, picking up the laptop and slowly approaching the couch where Hongjoong was seated, sinking down next to him, "Hyung?" He called, and he turned, looking at Mingi.

He looked pretty wrecked, and it was obvious that he was extremely tired, "Hm?"

"You might want to see this," he said, turning the laptop towards him, displaying the picture on the screen.

Hongjoong narrowed his eyes, "What is this?"

Mingi bit his lip, "We were all too consumed in our grief before, to really look at the picture they'd sent. There was a lot of editing done on it, which I noticed when I looked at it a little closer. Yunho and I reversed all the changes, and we found this picture."

Hongjoong's eyes widened, realisation dawning on him, "Are you sure this is the correct picture?"

Mingi nodded, "One hundred percent sure. Why would they edit the picture to make him look bloody and lifeless, unless they just wanted us to _think_ that he was dead?"

Hongjoong's eyes began filling with tears for the umpteenth time that day, but this time they were tears of relief, "Oh my god, he's alive..." He launched himself towards Mingi, throwing his arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He gasped, drawing attention to himself from the others in the room. When he pulled away, he was smiling widely, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I don't know what to say, Mingi-yah. Yunho, you too."

"What? What happened?" Yeonjun asked, interrupting their moment.

Mingi and Yunho exchanged grins, "Seonghwa-hyung is alive. They just edited the picture to make him _look_ dead to scare us. To warn us what they were capable of, basically."

San smiled widely, showing off dimples, "That's great news."

"And," Yunho added on, "Wooyoung and Yeosang are with him as well. Seonghwa's been captured along with them, but at least they're all together, and they're all okay."

San's smile widened, and the others we're smiling too, when there was a click at the door, and Jongho stepped inside, carrying a huge suitcase, looking sombre.

He looked around the room in shock, perplexed by all the smiles, "Um...did I miss something?"

Mingi shoved the laptop towards him, and the younger placed the suitcase on the ground before looking at the screen, "Wait, is that-"

Yunho nodded, "Yeah."

They explained everything to him, and he abruptly went towards the couch to Hongjoong, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him into the air, much to the older's surprise. He let out an undignified squawk, squirming in the air in Jongho's hold, "Oi!"

Jongho grinned, heaving him up another time before putting him down, letting him sit on the couch again.

They gave themselves a few seconds of respite to feel relief, and hug each other in happiness, smiles all around the room.

Then, Hongjoong stood up, walking towards a chair and ushering Yunho out of the way, "Let's show those guys what it means to mess with us."

They snapped into work-mode at once, reporting to Hongjoong and giving him all the information they had. The leader nodded, ruffling around some papers and taking his phone back from Yunho.

Hongjoong slipped into his role again easily, heart thundering in his chest from giddy relief, the misery he'd felt for the few hours that they'd all thought Seonghwa was dead still not completely evaporated. He didn't know what to think, what to feel about that situation, so he pushed it to the back of his mind, instead launching himself headfirst into his work.

"Okay, new plan. They want San, we give them San."

San's jaw dropped open, "What? You're going to let them have me?"

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, "Don't worry, I won't let you get hurt. We have about...sixteen hours until we have to be at the warehouse. We can submit a POA later, as per the emergencies clause, where we don't have to send it in right away, if we have less than twenty four hours for execution.

"So... Yeonjun, Soobin and San, have you done what Mingi asked you guys to?"

The three of them nodded, Soobin bringing over Yeonjun's laptop and turning on the screen to a map where they'd marked pins in several spots.

"San helped me with finding out where the easily accessible areas are, and all the possible places that could lead underground, because he frequents the area. The blue pins are suspicious points, red ones are surefire ways of getting into their underground base. San's suspicions coincide with my satellite imaging in those areas," Yeonjun said.

"Good work," Hongjoong replied, turning to the others, "We are not going to bother about the blue areas, we don't have enough time. There are three red pins, and we take two of them to strike. The one in the back alley between here and here," he pointed, showing them the area, "And obviously, directly at the warehouse. Our happiness that Seonghwa is alive is a little short-lived, because this also means that he was exposed as being undercover, and he's been taken in as a hostage. We can't risk any of the others' lives, so we need to take San with us this time."

The aforementioned boy nodded, "I understand."

"Don't worry, we'll take all the measures we can to protect you. Jongho, I officially declare you as San's personal bodyguard, until the end of this case."

The youngest smiled, patting San boisterously on the shoulder, "Sounds good," he said, "I've already readied the vans, and the devices inside them have been set to recalibrate."

Hongjoong nodded, "Efficient. Good. If this goes well, I'm going to put in a good word for you with the boss."

Jongho flushed at the praise, bowing to him.

"This time, we are going in like we know nothing. Is that clear? We can't assume anything about these people, and neither can we stay confident about the fact that the guys are safe. We must proceed with full caution, and we cannot take this group lightly. Their agenda probably goes deeper than just wanting San for some reason."

All of them nodded, and Hongjoong stood up, "I'm starving, and I don't care that it's nearly three in the morning, I need a snack. Anyone coming with?"

A few of them volunteered to go with him, and Mingi was simply just hungry, so he followed after Hongjoong, deep in his thoughts.

He wished he could be a leader as good as Hongjoong some day, maybe even head his own division in the special forces.

Now, though, they had to focus on their mission for the day.

*****

"San-ah, you good?" Hongjoong asked the younger boy, who was seated next to himself in the van, on the way to the warehouse, nervously fidgeting with his own fingers.

"I'm...I don't know," he said, shaking his head, "I'm scared that something will happen to Wooyoung, that he's going to hate me if anything goes wrong today."

Hongjoong placed a hand on the younger's back, over the thick jacket he was wearing just like the rest of them. It was Wooyoung's, actually, "Trust me, Wooyoung couldn't ever hate you. No matter what happens today."

San nodded, "Thanks for believing, hyung. I'm still scared, though. I've never done...anything like this before."

Hongjoong sighed, "I can understand how this could be nerve-wracking for you, but I think you'll be fine. We're going to go there, get past anyone who tries to stop us, and get Wooyoung, Yeosang, and Seonghwa back. Got it?"

San managed a tiny smile, mouth curling up at the corner, "Thank you."

Hongjoong patted his back, "You're welcome," his hand fell away, and he tapped at the device in his ear, "2411?"

Mingi answered him at once, "Yes, it's me."

"2416?"

It was Yunho, this time, "Yup. I'm here."

"And....Operater 2?"

Soobin answered, "Here."

"Okay, good. Everything seems to be going fine. Once you get to your destination, stop a few streets away so that you do not rouse suspicion. Do not make any moves until we reach as well. We can't do anything until those people see that we have San with us. I'm sure they're not going to try to kill him, so he's our bargaining chip. Got it?"

"Yes, hyung," he got three different replies in his ear, and nodded, muting himself before standing up to do another check, Jongho along with him.

Jongho, Hongjoong, San and Yeonjun were in one van, while the others were in another. Jongho, Hongjoong and San were going into the warehouse, and they were planning to use San to go inside and get the others out. In the meantime, Mingi and Yunho would go in through the alley they'd found that led into the underground path, with a pretty shady record of crime as well.

They'd received arrest warrants, and orders to shoot on sight anyone they came across whom they knew as having a relation to or alliance with SCAR, or any other notorious criminal organisation.

They were all equipped with heavy weapons and defenses, bulletproof vests protecting each of them, including San. They were wearing masks as well, to keep their identities as hidden as possible. They also had extra vests and arms sufficient for the other three who were captured underground, and any other things they might require.

They were as ready as they could be, physically.

Mentally, however....

Hongjoong couldn't have been more nervous.

He'd been in several life-threatening and dangerous situations before, but none of them were as complicated as this. None of them had involved three of their best agents, being held as hostages in an underground base of a still unnamed organization, who were after a boy who seemingly had no information, and nothing useful could come out of it.

Complicated was the exact word to describe it.

He was anxious, but he couldn't show it, because he had a subordinate and an innocent boy both relying on him to stay calm in the van, probably a hundred times more nervous than he was.

He'd never been very religious before, but he still found his lips moving in a prayer to whoever was watching over all of them, praying that everything would go well, and that he could have Seonghwa safe and in his arms again by the end of the night.

The rest of the ride was filled with the same tension-filled energy radiating from everyone, with an interruption when they received an update from the other team, once they reached their destination.

Other than that, it was mostly silent.

Hongjoong figured the silence was less because of everyone's nervousness, and had more to do with the fact that no one really knew _what_ to say in such a situation. It didn't bother him, though, and it gave him more time to think, so he aided the others and did his bit by keeping his mouth shut.

The moment they reached, Yeonjun sent over a quick update to the other team.

Hongjoong was about to get up from his seat, when he felt a warmth on his hand,and looked down in surprise to see San's hand clutching his own.

"Fighting," the younger whispered, and Hongjoong simply nodded in acknowledgement, mood not nearly pleasant enough for a smile.

San seemed to understand, though, sombre expression reflected in his face as well, as he stood up along with Hongjoong, dropping his hand.

The leader gave all of them a few last-minute instructions, grabbing the weapons he needed and patting Jongho on the back one last time, before giving Yeonjun the signal, and leading the way out of the van, just two blocks away from the warehouse.

San was right behind him, and Jongho brought up the rear, as the three of them went to the huge gates that were already open, walking inside and standing in the bare yard.

It was almost dusk, so he was expecting someone to join them there soon.

Sure enough, he caught sight of a faint shadow approaching them, and immediately tapped the device in his ear, "2411, we've got a code yellow. You may leave the vehicle. Find the entrance and get in as fast as you can. You know the plan?"

He received a confirmation, and took a deep breath, before yanking San and Jongho with him to step forward, "We have San," he announced.

A man walked in front of them,stopping at the sight of the three men, "Oh, hello," he said, way too brightly, "Is there anyone else with you?"

Hongjoong heard a gasp from his side, from San and figured that this was the man they'd been after, the whole time. The one who'd called himself Jeong Minhee.

It was Kim Ethan.

Hongjoong didn't feel the need to lie, "No," he said, "San is here. Now let the others go, and we will give him to you."

The man raised an eyebrow, "Not so fast. How do we know that you won't report us, that you won't give away out location to your superiors, if we simply hand over your lackeys?"

Hongjoong grit his teeth, "We know that you have the power to do much worse, Kim Ethan," he snarled, "Now take us to the others, and this will be over soon."

The man grinned, "Oh, good. You know who I am. Or maybe San knows me as Minhee, isn't that right, San-ah?"

With a burst of confidence, San spoke, "Don't talk to me like you know me."

"Oh, but I do!" He exclaimed, smile widening, "I know you better than anyone else."

Just as Hongjoong was about to retort with another crude remark, Ethan spoke again, "Aw, but where are my manners? Come in, agents. Let's have a little chat, first, maybe some tea. Lovely evening, isn't it?"

"Stop your games, Ethan," Hongjoong threatened, "Take us to see the others _now_ , or you will be dead."

Jongho promptly slipped a hand into his jacket, pulling out a gun and clicking it, pointing it straight towards the man's heart.

"Alright, alright! Jesus, why are you guys being so uptight? I sort of expected you'd ask about the dead one first," he shrugged, turning around to walk towards the run-down building.

"We know he's alive," Hongjoong growled, "Why would you send us a fake picture?"

Ethan looked over his shoulder to see two guns pointing at him, San wedged between the two agents with their raised weapons, "Impressive," he praised, raising his eyebrows before turning around again and continuing to walk, "Well, I thought making you think your boyfriend was dead would make you a little unstable, thus making you weaker and easier to take on. Never mind that then, I think you should be easy enough to handle either way."

Hongjoong bit back the cutting remark that came to him, instead venturing forward and pressing the head of his gun into the man's back, ushering him forward.

The man turned left, and the three of them followed him through a few dried bushes and nettles, until they came to a side door. It was already open, and had a staircase that led downwards. The man began the descent, and they followed him, guns at the ready in case anything happened.

He led them down two flights of stairs, and then to a simple wooden door. This one, however, lacked the ugly, old moss and mold that the rest of the warehouse seemed to have. It was sleek, and a polished brown, clearly a new door. Ethan pushed that one open as well, and walked in front of the three of them, to a hallway. Or, well, a tunnel.

Hongjoong raised one hand to unmute his earpiece, "Kim Ethan, this would be a good time to tell us why you want San so badly," he said loudly, praying that Yeonjun was listening in.

Thankfully, he received a reply in his ear, one that he did not reply to, "Got it. Conveying your location, and the presence of Kim Ethan to Team 2. They managed to find a way underground, and should be heading your way soon."

The leader sighed in relief at the fact that everything seemed to be going well so far. Ethan took one look at him, the head of Hongjoong's gun still digging into his spine, "Well, that's quite the story. Why don't you wait to hear it from those two? Wooyoung and Yeosang, right?"

Hongjoong grunted, neither an affirmation nor a denial of his words. Before he could say anything else, however, they came to a metal door. It seemed exactly like the one Soobin had described before.

Sadly, Hongjoong wasn't able to catch the digits of the password before they were already stepping through the door, to another hallway, thinner and cleaner than the previous one.

Ethan walked ahead for about a minute, before turning right, stopping abruptly in front of a strong, cement door, painted brown and having four sturdy locks on the front, chained to keep the door shut.

Ethan produced a huge keyring from his pocket, taking his time in choosing one, before inserting it into the first lock and twisting it. He repeated the process with the other three locks, and there was a click, before the door swung open.

Hongjoong heard Wooyoung before he saw him, "Kim Ethan, you _bastard_ , how dare you-" he stopped abruptly when he saw that Ethan was not the only one there.

"Oh my god," Wooyoung gasped, as Hongjoong, San and Jongho walked inside the room, the two agents sporting weapons.

"Wooyoung-ah, you okay?" Hongjoong asked, as San was too frozen in fear to speak. He received a nod from the younger, and heaved a huge sigh of relief when he saw that Yeosang was in the room as well. The agent stood up slowly, smiling a little at the sight of his colleagues, but still looking worried.

"Where's Seonghwa?" Hongjoong demanded, and as if on cue, a tall, tired figure emerged from the corner, eyes wide with an unreadable emotion. Hongjoong felt his eyes involuntarily well up, the fear he'd felt before coming back to him at the sight of his lover.

But right then, they had more important things to deal with.

Ethan turned to the agents, sporting a smirk, "So? San? Would you come to us?"

San scowled, "I don't want to. But if that's what it takes to free Wooyoung, then I'll do it."

"What the _fuck_ , Choi San!"

Of all things Hongjoong had thought Wooyoung would say, that was definitely not one of them. The latter whirled around to face Jongho and Hongjoong, "Hyung, don't you _dare_ protect San!"

"Wha...?" Jongho stammered, completely shocked at the turn of events.

"San isn't- isn't the person we thought he was. He was with them all along, hyung! They've been...sponsoring him with their dirty money, and he's been cooperating!" Wooyoung blurted, voice dripping with spite, "He's been lying to us the whole time!"

San stepped back in shock, looking between Wooyoung and Kim Ethan with an open mouth, "I- I never-"

"Oh, quit the chitchat and come here already," Ethan growled, surging forward and grabbing San by the collar, yanking him forward. The rest of them were too shocked by Wooyoung's outburst to make a move.

San whimpered in the man's hold, clawing at the bulky arm holding his collar, "Guys!" He exclaimed "Please, I don't know what he's talking about, _please_ , you have to believe me!" He begged desperately, eyes shining with shocked tears, "I don't know-"

"Oh, shut up, San," Wooyoung bit back, "How am I supposed to believe you when everything that he told me, made sense? Finally, it was like my questions were answered, and it fit! It made sense that you were in on this, that you were betraying me, and I just can't believe you would do that to us, to _me_. And after you told me you-" his voice cracked, "-you told me you loved me..."

San looked honestly terrified, "I _do_ love you, Wooyoung! I mean everything I said! I don't know what you're talking about-" he was crying now, tears rolling down his cheeks as the rest of them gaped at the situation, too crazy to interfere in.

But it was all broken apart, when Ethan smiled, a wide, satisfied grin, and let San go, bringing one hand up to his shoulder and another near his ear, "The 'a' is gone. It is replaced by 'eo'," he said loudly, and that seemed to do something to San.

He jerked, turning around to look directly at Ethan, almost...robotically.

The man smirked evilly, bringing a hand up slowly, slowly, and he snapped his fingers once, right next to San's ear, "Sleep."

And then San fell to the ground, unconscious.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess that ending made it pretty obvious what's going on, hm? Did any of guys expect that to happen? 😝 
> 
> Leave comments down below and let me know what you think! Your comments always motivate me to write more and update even when I'm super busy, so go ahead and fire away!! 
> 
> P.S. Don't forget to check out one of the most amazing people in the whole world, she's a writer as well!! 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/ll_crystal_lights_ll
> 
> Today's her birthday!!💕
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a mess. A fucking screwed up, roller-coaster of a mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay wow! Seriously??? I can't believe that this fic has over 8.2k hits and 300 kudos like woah thank you so much guys!!!😵
> 
> Here's chapter 18, a little earlier than even I expected myself to update lol, cause I've been kinda busy. I hope you guys like it, and pleasee me know what you think in the comments!!😉😉 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

No one knew what to make of the situation, mouths hanging open as they took in the sight in front of them, San collapsed bonelessly at Ethan's feet, and the the older man still standing over him with a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

"What....what happened?" Seonghwa spoke, cutting through the stunned silence.

Ethan let out a sound. Hongjoong recognised it as laughter. "I told him to sleep, and he did," Ethan shrugged, "Simple as that."

"No, it's not," Yeosang spoke for the first time, deep voice making quite the impact, "What the hell did you do to him?"

Ethan rolled his eyes, "Isn't it obvious?"

"You...you hypnotised him," Yeosang said, and Hongjoong would've laughed at the ridiculous suggestion, if it wasn't for the serious expression on Kim Ethan's face.

"Very good, Kang Yeosang," he praised, eyes narrowing, "Maybe I should keep you too, hmm? Might be useful."

Wooyoung cleared his throat loudly, "You... hypnotised him?"

"Yes, Wooyoung-ssi, your dear Sannie is hypnotised," Ethan responded, locking eyes with Hongjoong.

The latter glowered, three seconds away from blowing a fuse. But he couldn't, he knew he couldn't. At least not until he was sure that the guy wouldn't do something drastic, like the one who'd quite literally dropped a bomb on them.

"What happens now?" Yeosang asked, "Are we supposed to just leave San with you and _go_?"

Ethan chuckled, "Oh, but that would be too simple, no?" He tilted his head, clicking his tongue in amusement, "Actually, I think this is the part where you all try to escape, and I tell you that you can't," he said it like it was something hilarious.

Hongjoong frowned, "What do you mean?"

Ethan grinned maniacally, "The route we came through, it's been blocked already. I figured that letting you go, despite any promises you make, wouldn't be a good idea. So....I've decided to keep all of you!" He spread his arms wide, as if to welcome them, "So you are going to be our captives, and you all will give us the information we need. If you prove to be useful, then we might keep you alive, or else...." He pulled out a gun from his belt, pointing it at Hongjoong, "Bang."

The leader trembled with rage, his own hands still raised with the pistol, "So what? You were just planning to keep us here forever, or kill us? That's your great plan?"

Ethan shrugged, "No one knows of this place except my allies, and now all the exits you know of have been blocked or sealed away. So, indeed, I can keep you here forever to rot. And then San will be given the life he deserves."

Wooyoung scoffed, "What life? What the fuck are you talking about?" his voice trembled as he spoke, "You need to come clean, Kim Ethan. So that even if we live here forever, which we _won't_ , we'll at least know _why_. Why you're doing all this, what you want from us. And what you did to San."

To everyone's surprise, the man simply said, "Okay. Since you're definitely never getting out of here anyway, I might as well tell you the story. Buckle up, boys. Because it's a long ride."

Wooyoung swallowed thickly, his mind a mush of thoughts and feelings, completely clueless about what to do in such a situation.

Hongjoong lowered his gun hesitantly, and the others followed suit, until Kim Ethan dropped his gun as well, right next to the unconscious boy on the floor. Some part of Wooyoung wanted to run forward and pull San into his arms, and another part wished that San would just lie there, lie still and do nothing more so that he couldn't screw everything up more than he already had.

He felt Yeosang's hand slip into his, and held on gratefully, tension in his muscles relaxing just a little.

"So," Kim Ethan began, "Where do I start?"

"How about start from the fact that San is on the floor?" Wooyoung said.

He nodded, "Hmm? You will have to know some other things as well, to understand that. I guess I'll just talk and see where it goes, yeah?"

Ethan ran a hand through his hair, skull-shaped ring winking at them, "So Wooyoung-ssi already knows that San's tuition, apartment and family affairs are paid for by me. I never said that San knew about all of this, it was just what you assumed, and I didn't correct you," he shrugged.

Wooyoung's eyes widened, and he gasped, "Wait, so San really _is_ innocent?" This was a mess. A fucking screwed up, roller-coaster of a mess.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, "I didn't say that either."

"Enough of your games, Ethan," Hongjoong cut in, "Just tell us the _truth_."

"Okay, okay," he consented, "So...the story goes back to when San was a child, and his noona got into a little... trouble with me, for buying drugs from my dealer and drinking when she was a teenager. She was lying to me about her age, and when her father found out, he begged me not to tell. You see, I've always had morals about the rules. It would've been okay if she were older, but no. So because of that, her father said that he would do anything do make sure she never got caught.

"And he began working for me, running errands, drug deals. He soon began to get comfortable, and we became the best of friends. He helped me use the identity of a runaway criminal, Jeong Minhee, so that I could get by for a while. Then...the idiot went ahead and let this pipsqueak in too deep," he kicked at San in the floor, the tip of his boot catching his rib.

Wooyoung seethed, but he stayed quiet, letting Ethan continue.

"San was this close to finding out everything, learning about all the things his father had done just for friendship, so I gave him a little beating to get it into his head that he mustn't mess with these things."

That's right, Wooyoung had heard about that.

"And then, Yeongseun said he'd get help, and he went to Jeong Minhee. He was...a repulsive asshole, but Minhee gave me something valuable, so I let him stay and work for me. San's father and I had started Skull at first, and SCAR was our mask, the ruse behind which we worked as Skull, to take down the government. But then, when Minhee arrived, we began taking things to a different level.

"My daughter Kyungran had always been...gifted, and Minhee brought his knowledge and expertise to her, and that was when we began our mission of creating an army. An army of completely willing soldiers, who would never question us and easily go against even their own families with no regard for their own lives."

Yeosang gasped, "Hypnosis."

Ethan grinned, twirling the ring on his finger, "That's right. Minhee brought his amateur art to us, and Kyungran turned it into something amazing, something almost impossible. I picked it up, and Sannie over here was my first victim," he said proudly, "I hypnotised him with a simple set of words, triggered only when he hears them in my voice. So now if I wake him up, he does whatever I want him to. He'd even kill for me," Ethan smirked, "He almost did, once. He just doesn't remember."

Wooyoung's head ached, "Is that how you put that tracker in him? And the chip in his phone?"

He nodded, "Of course it is. I wasn't going to let him know that he's being tracked, but it was only for his own good. You see, his father was many things, but disloyal was not one of them. He loves his son so much that he was willing to do anything to keep him safe, even go to jail. It's weak if you ask me, but at least he's stayed quiet all these years. The only reason I outed him to the police was because he associated himself with Minhee, but I kept Minhee because he was useful to me.

"When Yeongseun went to prison, I visited him once. He told me then, that no matter what I did, I had to keep San and his sister safe. Otherwise, he'd tell the police everything we'd done. He said he didn't mind captial punishment if it was for his children's sake. So I put trackers in both of them, and in their phones, to protect them. San did his own, since he always kind of had a penchant for technology. And I kept tabs on them, paid for their lives, and slowly, I realised that I could use that. Because if they were already under hypnosis, why not use them for other, simple tasks for Skull?"

"Oh my god," Wooyoung spat, "You're a monster."

Ethan shrugged, "Maybe, but if that is so, then San is one too. He's done enough in his life to land him in prison for ten years at least. He's stolen, drugged and aided many a drug deal. He just doesn't know it ."

Wooyoung, in a fit of rage, almost surged forward and punched him, but he was held back by Yeosang's firm hands on him, keeping him at bay, "Wait, Wooyoung," Yeosang warned. He sighed, and reluctantly stilled in his spot.

"So everything was going well, great even. And then Kim Kyunghun, Minhee's brother, joined us. He married my daughter, and they were in love, happy as they could be. But then Kyunghun got himself known outside as a criminal, because of raping some girl before he met my daughter. That one offense was more than enough. You fuckers got a hold of him, and you killed him. Now that....was something I simply wasn't going to stand by and take.

"I paid off people to bruise and beat up San a bit, and leave him in that alley for you to find. Any one of you. It was a happy coincidence that it was the same person who'd killed my son-in-law. And then, well, you know how it goes. We ruined his apartment on purpose, knowing that your charitable brain was wired to take San in. And that's exactly what happened."

"What about Seonghwa?" Hongjoong interrupted, face sweaty under the mask he was wearing.

"Why don't we let him tell you that himself?" Ethan cocked his head towards Seonghwa, and the latter looked guilty as he began speaking.

"I- I'm sorry, guys. I told Wooyoung and Yeosang this already, but you should probably hear it from me too. Someone tipped me off that Wooyoung was housing a criminal, and when I found it was true, I just...snapped. Got into a deal with some woman named Jihyun, Ethan's assistant. I agreed to help them capture Yeosang, keep him in custody until you gave up San to them, at least so that you'd stop getting involved with a criminal. I'd planned to take enough information from them, so that at the end of it I could come back home and report to the leader, and we could take down the organisation as a whole, along with San. It was only when I went into hiding here, staying at the warehouse in an abandoned bedroom upstairs, that I found out about everything else. That San was really innocent, and that he was in terrible danger. You know the rest of the story. I just hope you can forgive me..." Seonghwa trailed off, looking down sadly.

Wooyoung opened his mouth, and then closed it, and waited a few seconds before he spoke, "I can't forgive you for assuming that stuff about me and San, hyung. But you did all you could to make it right, I understand that, so I think we can call this even. I've made some mistakes too, this time; some worse than others," he gaze strayed to the boy on the floor, licking his chapped lips as he spoke.

"Oh, enough with the apologies. All of you are going to be either dead or slaves soon, anyway," he rolled his eyes, "So let's discuss arrangements? Who is willing to co-operate and give us information, hm?"

"Why are you doing this?" Hongjoong asked, "What do you get from all of this?"

"Money, of course," Ethan stated, "Isn't it obvious? Even the strongest of humans would bow down before the idea of wealth."

"That's it? You're willing to risk the lives of so many people, risk the safety of the whole country, for money?"

Ethan pressed his lips unit a thin line, "Well, yeah. Money and pride. Power. I was shunned when I first came to Korea, rejected by the organisation you all work for, simply because I didn't seem capable enough. Ha! Now I've got their finest locked down here, in a place that I designed over so many years. This will show them!"

"You're a maniac," Yeosang snapped, "Why do you think we're just going to sit and take this from you? We're going to escape."

"You can try, I mean, the-"

_Boom._

The room shook, debris flying everywhere, as the wall fell apart, and two figures stepped inside, holding up pistols.

"Don't move!" Yunho shouted, Mingi at his side, as the two of them aimed their weapons at Ethan.

Hongjoong couldn't help his relieved grin. The assholes just had to choose the perfect time for their big entrance, huh?

Ethan spun around and his eyes widened, obviously shocked at the appearance of the two agents, stepping back in shock, almost tripping over the body of San on the floor, "What- what is the meaning of this?!"

Hongjoong stepped over the debris and grabbed Seonghwa's arm with one hand and his gun with the other, yanking the older along with him to the other side to face Ethan.

"This...is your end," Hongjoong threatened, raising his gun up.

Ethan narrowed his eyes, "Is that so?"

And before anyone could make a move, he leaned down, cupping his hand over San's ear, and said, "Wake up."

And then, they watched in shock, as San previously completely immobile, rose to his full height, looking totally nonplussed.

"Hmm?" He squeaked, looking around the room in shock, his mouth tight shut as if he wasn't able to speak.

Ethan smirked, "It doesn't matter what you do now. You can't kill me, because then he'd kill you," he gestured to San.

San tried to say something, but his throat wouldn't let him, closing up around the words he so badly wanted to convey to everyone. He wanted to say that he wouldn't kill them. Why would he? He wouldn't lay a finger on any one of them. But somehow, his throat didn't seem to work, protesting against his own commands.

"San!" Wooyoung cried out, "Oh my god, San! Are you okay?" Even as he spoke, Yeosang was pulling him away, along with the others to the other side of the room, in front of the collapsed wall.

San didn't respond, merely turning his head towards Wooyoung with a look of desperation, as if he wanted to say a million things but he _couldn't._

Wooyoung, Yeosang and Seonghwa were handed guns from Mingi, which they accepted gratefully. All of them were in the room, and Mingi spoke, "Operator- 2, this is 2411. We're in."

They received a confirmation from Yeonjun and Soobin and permission to shoot if need be. But their first preference would be to capture the man alive.

Yeosang nodded at Hongjoong once all of them were on the side of the broken wall, so they could escape as fast possible through the same route Mingi and Yunho had taken to get in. The leader looked grim as he walked slowly around the room, guiding the others until they were surrounding Ethan and a completely shocked San in the middle.

"What's going on? Why are they-" San stammered desperately, apparently finally having found his voice.

"Shut up," Ethan snapped, before looking around at the serious faces of all the agents surrounding him, "What do you want?" He asked, showing a hint of vulnerability for the first time.

"For you to co-operate," Hongjoong said simply, "You will break San out of whatever trance you've put him in, and you will come quietly with us. You are surrounded, and you have no option for escape now. I'm sure you are aware of that."

Just as Ethan was about to say something, a woman burst into the room, looking absolutely frazzled. Her hair was wild and her eyes were unfocused. What struck Hongjoong the most was the gun in her hand.

"Get down!" He ordered everyone, and it would've worked, it would've been fine, she would've shot nothing but the wall, if he'd said it one second earlier.

_Bang._

The bullet fired, and Seonghwa collapsed to the ground with a wail, clutching his shoulder with his hand. His wound began to bleed, gun discarded at his side as the crimson red creeped through from between his fingers.

Yunho dropped his weapon and scrambled towards the older, rapidly working to make a temporary tourniquet with the end of his own t shirt that he'd torn off.

Hongjoong resisted the urge to scream in frustration, and the tears that burned his eyes were ignored in favour of mindlessly pointing his gun at the woman who'd shot Seonghwa. He fixed his aim.

One...two...t-

"No!" It was Wooyoung, who had been watching the centre the whole time, where San and Ethan were standing.

San had picked up Ethan's gun from the ground, and...oh god, it was placed against his own temple, as he stared straight at Ethan.

Ethan's jaw dropped, "What are you doing? What- what..."

San only dug the head of the pistol into his own forehead a little more, ignoring Wooyoung's panicked screams in the background. The rest of the room had gone silent, too terrified to make any moves in fear of hitting San or one of their own by accident. The woman who'd barged in, Ethan's assistant, didn't move either.

"You want me, you said?" San said menacingly, "If you want me alive, you'll let the others go."

"How- how are you..but in a hypnotic state..." Ethan stammered, looking shocked.

Yeosang answered him, "He does whatever you tell him to, but you can't actually make him do something he doesn't want to, even when he's hypnotised. That's how hypnosis works. Any victim has to be at least a little willing, or they can break out of hypnosis when they hear something that they don't want to hear, or are told to do something crazy that they would never do. What did you ask of him, Kim Ethan?"

Ethan gulped, "I asked him to kill you all while you were distracted, starting with an Jung Wooyoung."

Wooyoung was barely fazed, too frenzied by the sight of San with a gun to his head, "Sannie, _please_! Don't do this!" He begged.

San simply turned towards him, "I love you, but I'm sorry. This is the only way for you guys to get out of here."

Wooyoung cried, begging loudly for San to stop, to let him die instead, but he was ignored, as San simply turned away from him and looked at Ethan.

"Well?" San asked.

Ethan shook his head, "No. I don't care. You're staying here, and so are they. You won't kill yourself, I know you won't. Because I know things about you that you couldn't bear to die without knowing, without hearing about."

San grit his teeth, "Try me."

" _Please_ , San..." Wooyoung's voice broke as he begged for his beloved not to do something so drastic, so crazy.

And all for him.

In that moment, with tears in his eyes and his heart beating so fast he could feel it in his throat, Wooyoung forgave San.

For everything he'd done, knowing and unknowing, every way he'd hurt Wooyoung and made him cry himself to sleep, every way he might hurt him in the future, everything he'd ever done that was wrong. Wooyoung didn't care anymore, as long as San got out of this okay. Alive, and breathing. And as long as Wooyoung never missed a chance to tell him- to tell him that..

"I love you too, San!" he blurted loudly, making sure San heard him, "I love you, _I love you,_ please put down the gun, _please_..."

San wavered, eyes widening as he spared himself one glance at Wooyoung, just one, fleeting glance.

It was enough for all hell to break lose.

San's respite had caused his grip on the gun to loosen, and Ethan siezed it from his hand at once, pointing it at anyone in his way.

It just happened to be Yunho, who was just about done patching Seonghwa up, and stood up on shaky legs, his own pistol nowhere to be seen, and the extras in the hands of Yeosang and Wooyoung. Seonghwa's was missing as well.

"Nobody moves, or I will shoot," Ethan threatened, a defenseless Yunho's eyes wide with panic and fear.

Everyone stayed still, too terrified to move a muscle.

Wooyoung was still crying. Hongjoong was almost there, biting his lip as he looked at his boyfriend collapsed on the harsh cement ground. Yunho was scared, and Mingi was stunned. Jongho and Yeosang both had conflicted expressions on their faces, pulled tight from stress and adrenaline.

"What do you want us to do now?" Hongjoong said, voice low as he stared down the man who was threatening them, "What do you _want_?"

He simply smirked, "I want you...to cooperate. You all must drop your weapons, and cut off all communication devices. San will come with me and..."

As he recited the terms, Hongjoong shot Jongho a look. Just one simple glance was enough for the younger to understand what he wanted him to do, and he inched forward slowly, quietly, Ethan's and the woman's backs turned to him.

Once he was close enough, and the man was saying something about his assistant taking the rest of them away, Jongho opened his mouth, "Now!"

At once, everyone sprung to attention, looking to Hongjoong for instructions.

Jongho didn't bother to look at what the others we're doing, as he surged forward and wrapped both arms around San, manhandling him out of the centre of the room. He pulled back, so that San was in front of him like a human shield, to make sure that Ethan wouldn't shoot in their direction.

He used his brute strength to heave the boy over his shoulder, and slipped his gun into his belt, pulling San towards the destroyed wall, intending on getting him out of there as fast as possible. Yeosang cleared his way, and he escaped through the large gap, putting San down a little later as he spoke in rapid tones with Yeonjun in his ear, asking him which way to go. Once he did a quick once-over of San, the two of them took off, sprinting towards their only way out.

Back in the underground room, Hongjoong gestured for the others to escape first, and Yunho hastily apologized to Seonghwa for jostling his wound before pulling him up, carrying him on his back and sprinting out of the room, following Jongho and San. Mingi had taken the liberty to knock the gun out of the woman's hands, and kicked it to the side, allowing everyone to push past her with no problem. Then, Mingi and Yeosang locked arms before running out of the room through the half-destroyed wall.

Hongjoong kept Ethan occupied, by kneeing him in the stomach while he was distracted, and using the opening to take his gun away, throwing it to the side.

He engaged the much larger man in combat without weapons for just a few minutes, but that was more than enough time for everyone to get out of the area unscathed. Or, well, as unscathed as they could be.

Wooyoung ran towards Hongjoong, intending on catching Ethan from the back, but he hadn't considered a few other factors.

The moment Wooyoung's gun was raised in a position to shoot Ethan, the woman from before, _Jihyun_ , threw herself in the way, and the bullet hit her instead, passing right into her chest and piercing her heart.

She collapsed in a heap, clutching her chest as the blood flowed between her fingers, making a small pool on the floor.

Wooyoung cursed, stepping over her twitching, lifeless body and venturing ahead towards Ethan.

One blow from the back caused the man to reel over, and cough out blood, clutching his stomach, and Wooyoung took the opportunity, grabbing Hongjoong's hand and pulling him away from the bloodbath.

"But we have to-" Hongjoong protested, and Wooyoung cut him off sternly.

"They aren't the priority now, hyung," he snapped, and the leader relented, as they stepped through what was left of the wall, the last ones to leave the room.

On second thought, Wooyoung reached into Hongjoong's jacket and grabbed a small explosive, using it to give them time in case they were being pursued, and threw it on the ground, sprinting away from the explosion that shook the place, towards the distance where they could just about make out the faint shadows of Mingi and Yeosang sprinting ahead of them.

Wooyoung and Hongjoong held hands tightly, hearts thundering and bodies aching, as they ran and ran and ran, not looking back once.

All they had holding them down, keeping their hearts from shattering and crippling them, was their hope.

They hoped.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof that was it!! The story behind it all...explained! 
> 
> So what'd you guys think? Did it make sense? Did it not? Let me know if you guys spot any loopholes please I'm not a very experienced writer so there's probably something I've overlooked 🤪🤪 
> 
> And finally, leave comments, kudos and subscribe!! Thanks again for all the support💖 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rollercoaster of emotions he'd felt while seeing San with a gun to his own head hadn't calmed down inside him, raging like the fires in a volcano, just waiting to burst and wreak havoc. He'd never felt like that ever before, and he never wanted to feel like that ever again. He'd gladly lay down his own life at the feet of his enemies in exchange for San's; he'd jump off a building if San asked him to.
> 
> It was terrifying, being so weak for one person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!!😋😋 I'm back with chapter 20!! Early update, I know lol just been kinda bored of working lately so took some time off to do this! 😆
> 
> Woah I've been working on this story for over two months now, and I never expected it to do this well, so thank you guys!! 
> 
> Edit at 12.00 KST: ATEEZ AREN'T ROOKIES ANYMORE WYDHAJHFHSKFJAHDGJD IM NOT READY FOR "ATEEZ SUNBAENIM" YALL DONT TOUCH ME IM CRYING RN SHHDHSJFJA
> 
> Anddddd...here's chapter 20! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

The second Wooyoung and Hongjoong saw the streetlights again, they knew they were out. Yeonjun had also driven over so that he could pick them from there. The two vans were parked just a few blocks away from the entrance to the underground base of Skull.

But when they did see light again, their priority wasn't getting away at once. First, they made sure to block the exit they'd come from, sealing it shut by nailing boards to the hole-in-the-wall kind of place, completely blocking the door to the cellar-like-area that led underground.

If they had indeed screwed up by leaving Ethan down there, they wanted to at least make sure that he didn't have too many ways to escape the place, if he did manage to stay conscious for long enough to try. Even if he did, Wooyoung was sure that all the dust and smoke down there would definitely slow him down, at least, which was a good thing.

Wooyoung and Hongjoong let go of their joined hands, nodding at each other before Hongjoong tuned to go and check on Seonghwa, who was being given constant attention from Yunho, until they were sure he was well enough to travel back to HQ before he needed serious patching up.

At the same time, Wooyoung rushed towards San, who was quite visibly shaking, both of them bathed in sweat, but the younger still didn't hesitate to embrace San in relief, breathing in the scent he'd missed for so long, laced in with obvious undertones of sweat and grime from having been underground.

"I love you," Wooyoung breathed out.

San pulled away, still shaking, eyebrows knitted in a serious expression, "I love you too."

Wooyoung placed his hand on San's cheek as he pulled away, caressing the bone with his thumb, "I have to go see Seonghwa-hyung," Wooyoung informed him, and San nodded, gesturing for him to go.

Wooyoung turned away and jogged towards the van where Seonghwa was being taken in on a sort of stretcher, one that they kept in the vans in case of medical emergencies like this one.

Hongjoong was crying, tears streaking his cheeks, and Wooyoung felt really terrible for him, for all that he'd had to go through, and scurried forward to help out, until Seonghwa was finally laid down comfortably inside. Or, well, as comfortable as he could be right then, with a gunshot wound in his shoulder.

Wooyoung couldn't make out exactly what Hongjoong was saying, but he caught the tail end of a sob, something like, "...thought you really were dead, Seonghwa, love, please...." Wooyoung wondered why Hongjoong would've thought that, but figured it wasn't the time to ask, simply climbing in behind Jongho and Hongjoong, gesturing for San to join them as well.

Perhaps it was a bit of a tight fit, but none of them wanted to leave the other alone, so they managed, with Jongho, San and Wooyoung squeezing themselves into seats meant for two. Hongjoong was seated by himself, with Seonghwa laying down beside him, and the younger was clutching his boyfriend's hand tightly with both of his own, like it was the only thing anchoring him, stopping him from completely breaking into pieces.

Seonghwa's eyes were fluttering, and he wasn't really able to speak, but he managed a weak, "I'm okay...don't cry..." And that only ended up launching Hongjoong into another fit of sobs, leaning his head against Seonghwa's reclined one.

The vehicle's engine roared to life, and Wooyoung could hear Yeonjun say something to Soobin through the comms device, before they started moving, driving back towards HQ, slower than they usually would, so that the ride was smooth for Seonghwa.

Wooyoung felt like crap.

First of all, physically. He'd been holed up in that place without showering for quite a while, and he'd only managed to force himself to eat once, so he was starving. Not to mention he had blood on his hands and caking the soles of his boots, and there was dirt streaking his arms as well, which probably meant his face was some shade of grey or black, if not from the beginning, at least after the explosion that he'd caused down there, which had led to dirt raining down on him and Hongjoong. He kind of felt like he was burning up a little as well, but that may have just been his body's way of responding to all the sudden changes in environment.

And then, emotionally, he was probably three seconds away from a full mental breakdown, and the only thing that kept him sane was San's hand holding one of his own, and Jongho's holding the other. A little physical comfort could go a long way, he supposed.

He didn't want to think about what would become of his and San's relationship after all of this, and he had no idea if San would even want to continue being with him after all the messed up stuff that had happened to him, solely because of Wooyoung. And before that as well. Perhaps San would need some time by himself.

But Wooyoung knew it wasn't his place to think about that, or assume what San's feelings were without directly hearing it from him, so he simply took comfort from the fact that San was leaning into his side willingly, sweaty hand clutching his own and trembling from about six thousand different emotions at once.

"Wooyoungie-hyung?" Jongho called, snapping him out of this thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"What happened down there after I left with San-hyung?" Jongho asked, and Wooyoung was almost thankful for a reason to talk, to distract himself from the imploding mess his brain was at the moment.

He explained what had occured, and gave Yeonjun the full down-low as well, with him chipping in here and there with questions. 

When San learned what had happened to him, what Ethan had done to him, he winced in discomfort, shifting closer to Wooyoung, despite the fact that they'd been squished together anyway. Wooyoung let him, not wanting to protest against the older's attempt at seeking comfort from him in the only way he knew how.

When they arrived at HQ, it was almost three am, the whole night having been whisked away by the mission. Which had, ultimately, partially failed, but they were sure that they could come back- perhaps the next day- and pick up the pieces, search the underground base, and find Kim Ethan so he could be brought to justice. At least, that was what they hoped. If Ethan had already managed to escape, then...well, then they would see.

They would have to regroup and collect themselves, and treat everyone's injuries, minor or major, before they could go back down there. And of course, San wouldn't be taken down there again, for he'd obviously already had more than enough of Kim Ethan and the whole fiasco.

Speaking of San, he hadn't said a word through the whole ride, and Hongjoong was muted as well, the only sounds coming from him being little sniffs and "I love you"s directed at Seonghwa.

The moment the vehicle was parked, being the first ones back, they fussed over Seonghwa and checked the makeshift bandages Yunho had bound him with, before heaving him up and carrying him inside, Yeonjun shouting orders at a few of the rookie agents there as well, to come to the infirmary and help them at once.

They managed to get Seonghwa situated, and Hongjoong collapsed on a chair next to his bed, taking his hand in his and placing a kiss to the skin. Wooyoung placed a steady, comforting hand on Hongjoong's soulder and squeezed, before nodding at Seonghwa and going to leave the room, in order to receive the others.

He left San sitting with Yeonjun, Hongjoong and Seonghwa, and their operator was busy stetilizing and dealing with stuff in the room, checking Seonghwa's vitals and giving him oxygen, dealing with immediate medical aid until Yunho arrived and provided his more professional care.

It hurt Wooyoung to leave San behind in such a state, sitting by himself on a wooden chair and hugging his knees to his chest, breathing deeply to stop his throat from choking up, and avoiding everybody's eyes out of guilt. It was obvious that San felt guilty for all that had happened, and knew it would probably be futile to try and convince him otherwise, so Wooyoung chose to just let him wallow in his emotions for a while, let him be alone as he left him behind with a kiss on the top of his head before he walked out of the room and went downstairs. Jongho was still downstairs, as he was unloading the van and dealing with the devices inside.

Wooyoung was just on time, as he saw the other van pull in and park in the corner, before Yunho was jumping out, jacket, bulletproof vest and weapons discarded, torn t shirt flapping around, as he raced into the building without sparing anyone a glance, desperate to get to Seonghwa as fast as possible.

Wooyoung watched him as he went, and approached the vans to help the other Jongho and the other three who had just arrived.

As he leaned over to pick up a rifle from the ground, he heard a small voice from behind him, "Wooyoung?" It was Yeosang.

He turned around, leaving the weapon where it was, "Yeah?"

Yeosang placed a hand on his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

Well.

"Do you want me to be honest?"

Yeosang shrugged, "If you aren't, I'll know."

"Fair point," he conceded.

Wooyoung took a deep breath, "I'm not okay. I'm not even close to okay," he admitted with a frown.

Yeosang gave him a tight-lipped smile, "Come here," he said, pulling Wooyoung into his arms, the sweat hardly bothering either of them, as they were used to this, hugging each other for some semblance of comfort and normalcy after a particularly gruelling mission, that sucked all the energy out of them.

This time, though, Wooyoung figured he was more emotionally exhausted than anything else, and the rollercoaster of emotions he'd felt while seeing San with a gun to his own head hadn't calmed down inside him, raging like the fires in a volcano, just waiting to burst and wreak havoc. It had been crazy. He'd never felt like that ever before, and he never wanted to feel like that ever again. He'd gladly lay down his own life at the feet of his enemies in exchange for San's; he'd jump off a building if San asked him to.

It was terrifying, being so weak for one person.

"Yeosangie," he choked out, throat dry, "I love him..."

And yeah, he figured, that's all it was. It was just love. He loved San and San loved him, and it destroyed pretty much every notion he'd ever had about what love was. He'd figured it meant being happy in the presence of the other person. He'd just never considered that that also meant being devastated, broken at the mere prospect of their absence, and with San there were more of those moments of fright than he liked to count.

"I know," Yeosang replied, "I know you do. It must have been hard, yeah? Learning about what that- that freak did to him?"

Wooyoung trembled, "I..."

Yeosang pulled away, looking at Wooyoung's dirtied, tear-stained face, "Hey, he'll be fine," the older assured, "He already broke out of hypnosis once, didn't he?"

Wooyoung took a deep breath, "Yeah, but I still don't know what he might have done under hypnosis, what Ethan did to him, and what he made San do," he said, "Because what if it's...something more than I can take?"

Yeosang shook his head, "That isn't possible. The whole tracker-in-his-neck thing, and the chip in his phone makes sense, as does the fact that he may have done a few illegal things for that man. But I'm sure, if he's a good person at heart, he wouldn't have been able to do anything _cruel_ without breaking out of his trance, Wooyoung. Remember, he did break out of it when he was told to kill you."

Wooyoung frowned, "I know...it's just, I don't know anything about this stuff, and understanding it may take a while, but I feel bad for San, because he doesn't know what he did either."

Yeosang hummed, "True, but once we get to our computers, we are going to reasearch the crap out of this thing, until we're sure he can't be hypnotised again, alright?"

Wooyoung nodded, "Okay. Thanks, Yeosang-ah."

The older patted his shoulder as he turned away a little to grab a backpack and heave it over his shoulder, "Anytime."

*****

"Seonghwa-hyung is doing better. It'll take a while before he's back on his feet, but he's okay now. Stable," Yunho informed the agents, who were sitting outside in the hallway.

Wooyoung smiled as he received his first happy news in the past week, having been bombarded with increasingly harsh truths and even lies, through the whole period, "That's great," he said, "Can we see him?"

Yunho looked around, hesitating, "I would say yes, but he's really tired after all he's done, and so are the rest of you, so I suggest we all get some sleep first. We can get a few hours of rest if we all just stay here. What do you think?"

"Is Seonghwa-hyung asleep, then?" Jongho asked.

Yunho shrugged, "No, but nearly. He'll be out in a few minutes, if no one comes to see him right now. Hongjoong-hyung requested to stay the night in there, so I've let him have the empty bed next to Seonghwa-hyung's, but that's about it. The rest of you guys can see him later. I'm gonna sleep in there as well, just in case," he gestured to the infirmary.

Wooyoung nodded, wrapping an arm around San, who was next to him, and heaving him up into a standing position, "We'll be in my office if you need us. Yeosangie, too," he said, shooting a look at the latter, who followed him wordlessly to their office, eager to be in there after a long time.

They'd all already showered in the bathrooms of the resident junior agents, after asking them of course, and they'd changed into fresh clothes, San in an old t shirt of Wooyoung's, and a pair of shorts that had been stashed in one of his drawers, underneath. They'd also eaten, just some simple stuff they could find in each other's offices, not wanting to make noise in the cafeteria so late, or well, _early_.

Everyone's minor injuries, if any, had been taken care of by each other, and Yeosang had popped into the infirmary to check on Yunho and Hongjoong as well, before they'd all been exiled to wait outside until they got further information from Yunho.

Now, Wooyoung was in the process of pulling San into his shared office with Yeosang, and dragging his boyfriend to the reclining desk chair, pushing it back and curling up in it first before looking pointedly at San, clearly wanting the other to do the same next to him.

Yeosang simply took the couch, legs hanging over one arm as he turned away from the two others in the room and closed his eyes, tiredness catching up to him before anything else, "Good night," he mumbled, before going silent, tired enough to fall asleep in less than two minutes.

San looked at Wooyoung tentatively, and the younger opened his arms, beckoning for San to join him. San's gaze still held a little apprehension.

"Are you sure?" San whispered.

Wooyoung knitted his brows, "Why are you asking? You're my boyfriend."

San sighed, "I don't know, everything kind of feels... _different_ now. You know?"

Wooyoung only opened his arms wider, "I know. So come here and make it better," he demanded, and he could see the way San's shoulders relaxed and his body loosened up, before he was nodding in defeat and climbing in beside Wooyoung.

They adjusted themselves a little to fit in the rather large leather chair, San's head pillowed on Wooyoung's chest; their legs, tangled together, resting on the bottom shelf of the table in front of them. Wooyoung wrapped both arms around San, tugging him into his side, and he turned his face towards San, placing his lips on the skin of his temple in a gentle kiss.

A few seconds of silence passed, and Wooyoung could just about hear Yeosang's even, slow breaths as he slept.

"San-ah," he whispered, so soft that it was nearly indiscernible.

"Hm?"

"Tell me you love me." That hadn't been what he was intending to say, but he figured it would do.

San leaned his head up to meet Wooyoung's eyes, "I love you," he said sincerely, arm resting on the younger's waist.

Wooyoung smiled softly, "Mm, I like hearing you say that."

San tightened his grip on the other's waist and dropped his head down again to rest on his chest, faintly able to make out the steady beat of his heart.

They fell asleep to that, the melody of their heartbeats and even breaths syncing up, wrapped around each other in a chair that would've otherwise been uncomfortable, but felt like nothing less than a cloud with San in his arms, snuggled up close.

Wooyoung's mind was restless, but his body completely melted and relaxed in San's hold, eyes shutting as his head fell back against the edge of the chair and his brain stopped thinking, resorting to putting all of his feeble energy into making sure San was comfortable. The latter fell asleep first, little snores sending Wooyoung into dreamland as well, until the room was silent save for the three men's gentle breaths and occasional shifting around.  
  


"Wake up, guys!"

Wooyoung awoke at the sound of Mingi's deep morning voice, accidentally elbowing San in the side as he did.

"Ow!" The latter cried.

"Sorry," he apologised, rubbing San's side where he'd hurt him, "Hey, Mingi."

"Yeah, hi. We want everyone to come to Hongjoong's office to make a plan. Hyung wants to wrap up everything today, so he's called us there."

Wooyoung nodded groggily, "Where's Yeosang?"

"He woke up first, he's already there. Everyone else is, too. It's just you guys."

"Okay, we'll be there in a few minutes," Wooyoung informed him, and the agent left the room, leaving Wooyoung and San alone to wake themselves up and join the others.

San climbed out of the chair, stretching his limbs and cracking his knuckles as he rose to his full height, "Should we, like, change or something?"

Wooyoung shrugged, smoothing a hand through his messy hair, "Nah, Mingi was still wearing the same clothes, let's just go."

San nodded, pulling his shorts down over his thighs, where they'd ridden up while he was asleep, "Hmm."

Wooyoung stood, wrapping a hand around San's wrist and pulling him out of the room and towards Hongjoong's office. They passed a few others on the way there, a few colleagues who greeted Wooyoung and received polite 'hello's in response.

Thye knocked on the closed door of the office, and it opened to reveal Yeosang.

"Oh, hey, the lovebirds are here," he said, ushering them inside and closing the door behind them.

It was pretty crowded inside, with nine people all cramped inside an office meant for two. It was quite spacey for an office, but it was a tight fit for nine of them. They managed somehow though, with Yunho, Yeonjun and Jongho seated on the table, and the others on chairs, and even the floor.

"Okay," Hongjoong began, "So I want this to be over as soon as possible, and for that we must act fast."

"Should we just go down there again, hyung? We do know one more way of going down there, don't we?" Jongho asked.

Hongjoong hummed, "Yes we do. But I have something better with me." He reached down into his desk and pulled out a phone, brandishing it in front of everyone, "Look."

"What's that?" Yunho asked.

"This is Kim Ethan's phone. I took it from his pant-pocket, when we were fighting. It was almost too easy to do so, but the fact that it's with me means that he probably knows this fact, so we have to act before he can pull anything else."

Yeosang let out a sound of relief, "It's great that you have it, though. We can work on it now, right? It should be easy enough to find where he is, then. We should at least be able to find his frequented spots from that"

Hongjoong nodded, "I was going to hand this over to you anyways, to work on- Yeonjun and Yeosang. The reason I called in the rest of you is for a few more instructions," he said, "After what happened last night, I want San to stay here, with Seonghwa and Soobin. Just to keep him safe. The rest of us can deal with Kim Ethan. I doubt that he was alone down there, but we didn't have much time to stake out the place yesterday, so I want Mingi and Yunho to deal with the underground base, regardless of whether Ethan is still there or not. Dispose of the dead woman's body if you can, find and capture anyone else who is in the area and bring them in to HQ. You two can leave soon, since you do not have to wait to find out about Ethan's current whereabouts."

Yunho jumped down from the table to go and stand next to Mingi who was seated on one of the chairs, "Okay, hyung," the older said, "I'm going to handover the reins at the infirmary to one of the nurses and then Mingi and I will go."

Hongjoong nodded, "Yeah. Don't forget to go armed properly, and wear your bullet-proof vests, okay? And if you do find Kim Ethan, notify us."

"Yes, hyung," Mingi answered, also standing up, "We'll get going, then."

"Good luck!" Hongjoong called after the two as they left, and the others echoed the sentiment, Yunho's bright smile being the last thing they saw before the door was shut.

"Okay, Yeosang, take this. Go work on it with Yeonjun and let me know as soon as you get any information."

The aforementioned agent obediently accepted the phone from the leader, and stood up, Yeonjun following him as they left the room.

"Who's left? Jongho, Wooyoung, Soobin and me, yeah? First of all, Wooyoung and San, go do some research on how exactly San could have been hypnotised, and what happened to him then. It's really a grey area for us, so we need as much information as possible, to understand this case better and file the reports."

Wooyoung nodded, and stood up, San right next to him, "Hyung, can we see Seonghwa-hyung now? Is he okay?" The agent asked.

Hongjoong nodded, "Yeah, the others spoke to him earlier. He's fine now. He's the one who pushed me to come here and get this over with, actually."

San's hand slipped into Wooyoung's, and the younger willingly laced their fingers together, "Thank you, hyung," San said, before the two of them left the room to go to the infirmary.

They kept their hands joined as they walked to the infirmary and knocked on the door, only for it to be opened by the nurse, "Hey," she said, "You are here to see Seonghwa-nim?"

Wooyoung nodded, and they were guided inside, towards Seonghwa's bed. The older was awake, right arm in a sling to make sure he didn't move his shoulder. He smiled as the two of them walked in, "Hi, Wooyoung. And we haven't met before, San."

"Hello," San greeted back, keeping his hand entwined with Wooyoung's as they sat down in adjacent chairs.

"Hyung, how are you feeling?" Wooyoung questioned.

Seonghwa's gaze strayed to the two boys' joined hands, raising an eyebrow, before he answered, "I'm in pain, I guess. But it's definitely less than before. How about you guys?"

Wooyoung pressed his lips together, "Physically, we're all okay. Emotionally, however..."

Seonghwa gave him a sympathetic smile, "Yeah, I get that. How about you, San?"

San seemed surprised that he was being directly addressed, "Oh- um...I'm okay."

Seonghwa hummed, "I can tell you're lying, but it's okay. We just met, so I'm not going to pester you," he turned to Wooyoung, "What's the plan with you guys, kiddo?"

Wooyoung shrugged, shifting around in the chair, "Yunho told you that he's going back down there, right?"

Seonghwa nodded, "Yeah. I told him what I knew about that place, but it seemed like he knew just about as much as I do. About where he can enter and exit from. I also told him that I've definitely seen more than five people down there, including Kim Ethan, but I don't know their faces exactly, because they were wearing masks. At least, it was a warning that he mustn't be careless while doing this."

"Hyung, how- how were you caught by them anyway?" Wooyoung asked, as it had been a question of his for quite a while, one that he'd just been too scared to ask while they were down there.

Seonghwa adjusted the sling on his arm a little, "I was upstairs, in the top floor of that warehouse, somewhere no one ever goes. I was getting in and out of there by climbing the back wall. A little steep, but I jumped the last few feet or so while getting down, and for going up I'd just use adhesive on my hands to stick me to the wall for long enough to scoot up, and then I'd scale the rest of the wall using the cracks. It was a risk, but I did it for Yeosangie at first, then once I found out that San wasn't a bad guy, I began trying to break Yeosang out of there. It didn't work, though we came pretty close. They didn't find me out then, thankfully. But that day when Hongjoong and San showed up at the warehouse, I knew that I had to do something, and try to get Yeosang out as soon as possible.

"I didn't know you were there at that time, but when I went down, suddenly Jihyun was out and about later than usual, and I realised seeing Yeosang then wouldn't be an option, and neither would trying to go back up. So I stayed hidden in one of the cells underground, similar to the one you were in. But tiredness got the better of me, and I collapsed from exhaustion, when Ethan found me and woke me up. It didn't take long for him to find out who I was, and he drugged me. The next thing I remember is being locked up with you two."

Wooyoung swallowed, "Thanks for trying so hard for us, hyung."

Seonghwa managed a weak smile, "Of course. Now don't you boys have something to do? I'm sure Hongjoong would've piled you up with work, and you probably shouldn't be wasting time here. Go, deal with the case, we can talk afterwards."

Wooyoung nodded, leaning forward to squeeze Seonghwa's left hand with the one not holding San's, before standing up with a grim expression, "I'll see you later, hyung. Get some rest."

"Hmm."

San stood up as well, and just when they were about to leave, Seonghwa called after them, "Hey, San?"

San turned to look at the other man over his shoulder, "Yes?"

"Come here for a second."

San let go of Wooyoung's hand, willingly walking towards Seonghwa with an unguarded stance.

"San," Seonghwa's voice was low, to make sure Wooyoung couldn't hear them, "Are you and Wooyoung serious about your relationship?"

San pursed his lips, "I am. I want to be with him. I hope you don't have any objections to that."

Seonghwa shook his head, "Nothing like that. I just wanted to know if all this is happening only because of the circumstances, you know. Like a desperate attempt to secure normalcy in this time by being with each other romantically. A relationship that begins under intense circumstances such as this-"

"Won't last?" San cocked his head to the side, "I've had that worry myself, Seonghwa-ssi. But I'm serious about this."

Seonghwa nodded, "Take care of him. He's always fallen too easily, and if he gets hurt because of you, I won't be able to forgive you for that."

San looked at Wooyoung, and then back at Seonghwa, "I've already hurt him more times than I can count. I am willing to do _anything_ to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Seonghwa smiled, "That's what I wanted to hear. Now go on ahead."

San returned the smile feebly, and nodded, before jogging to Wooyoung's side again, and walking out of the room with him.

"What was that about?" Wooyoung asked.

San shook his head, "It's nothing important."

Wooyoung let it go with a smile, lifting one hand to San's nape and running it through his hair as they walked along the empty hallway, "Okay, if you say so. Now, let's get some things done, alright?"

Suddenly, San turned and pulled Wooyoung into him by the waist, locking their gazes together.

Wooyoung froze, taken aback at the sudden proximity, and in the middle of the hallway where anyone could come and see them, clearly in a position too intimate for a public setting. He was just about to say something, when San leaned down and pressed their lips together, effectively silencing whatever thoughts ran through his brain at that moment.

San's lips moved against his own firmly, kissing him passionately like it was their last night on earth. Despite the kiss only lasting a few seconds, Wooyoung felt completely breathless when San pulled away, looking down at him with intense eyes. The younger was helpless as San locked gazes with him, one hand still on his waist, while the other had made its way to his neck, probably able to feel his pulse.

The air felt heavy around them, thick with tension, and Wooyoung parted his lips on instinct, wetting his bottom lip with the tip of his pink tongue. San's eyes dropped to follow the movement, and then up again to Wooyoung's own, a sort of heady intent clearly visible in his dark brown orbs.

"We...should go," Wooyoung managed to say, still trapped in San's enigmatic aura. He swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat as he did so.

"Yeah," San rasped, finally stepping away from him, feeling like the air had lifted from around them and taken all the sudden tension with it.

It was a shaky hand that Wooyoung placed on San's back, as he guided him to his office so they could do what they'd been told to.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ifiwyfhanfjsj tensionnnnnnnn 
> 
> Hehehe I really enjoy writing chapters like this, and I had a bit of trouble with this one so I could make it perfect lmao. even though it prolly isn't one of the best, I sorta have a soft spot for cuddly sleepy woosan, you feel me?
> 
> So I hope you guys liked it!! Let me know what you think down below!! 
> 
> Leave comments, kudos, and subscribe! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was over.
> 
> It was really over. It had been a long ride, but Wooyoung felt like it might have been worth it, in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ajfhwhfkkamgjwjfjsjf THE CONCERT WAS AMAZING IM SO LUCKY TO BE BORN IN THE SAME ERA AS THEM 💖 
> 
> Okay yeah I'm just very happy, if you haven't noticed already, and I've written this story until chapter 23, so there are even quicker updates lol,hope you don't mind the overload.  
> Annddd here's chapter 21!! Hope you guys like this one, let me know what you think in the comments 😜 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

One cannot really be _un_ -hypnotised.

They'd done their research, only to find out that hypnosis was merely a state of easy compulsion, and that a person would respond to commands and suggestions favourably under such a state.

It could also be done easier when the victim was willing to be hypnotised. The hypnosis itself, would last for a lifetime, triggered by whatever means the hypnotist had used, whether it was touch, sights sounds, or words, like in the case of San. The most common was the voice of the hypnotist itself. It was almost impossible to force someone to do something that they were completely against, under hypnosis, but it was indeed possible to compel them to do smaller things that were against their own principles and morals.

Hypnosis could be used as a tool to help, like to numb pain during and after surgeries, although there was a lot of skepticism involved regarding the use of hypnosis for medical purposes. It could also be used for other, more cruel means, such as what had been done to San, to control and compel him to do things he otherwise wouldn't have done.

Hypnosis could be broken out of either by gentle coaxing and guidance, which was the safest way, or by force, like what San had done, his mind fighting the feeling of being controlled and completely destroying the notion of following commands, as he'd been asked to do something unthinkable. Something he'd never, ever do. No matter what was on the line. That feeling of shock, a sort of rude awakening in his mind at the thought of being ordered to kill the man he loved, had allowed him to break out of the trance, unknowingly triggering the irrational part of his brain that had immediately jumped to action without thinking, gun in his hand and pointed to his own head before he could contemplate what he was doing.

San didn't know whether he was actually capable of something like that, just...dying. Killing himself for the sake of his love. Perhaps he was, perhaps he wasn't. In a way, he was relieved that he hadn't had long enough back then, to find out the answer to that question.

"San, you okay?" Wooyoung called, jerking him out of his thoughts.

San gave him a tight-lipped smile, "Yeah. Are we done here?"

Wooyoung nodded, "I guess so. This just means that the trigger can work on your brain at any time, when you hear those words from Ethan, but you can actually break out of it if you try hard enough. That's good, right?"

San shrugged, "I guess...I don't know what to do now, though. Like, am I supposed to pretend that none of it ever happened? That Kim Ethan doesn't have perpetual control over me, no matter what happens after this?"

Wooyoung placed a comforting hand on San's back, "Of course not, San. If you feel uncomfortable, which I'm sure you do, you can talk about it. To me, to anyone you're comfortable with."

San nodded almost imperceptibly, "Hmm...I just don't know what to think right now. Or feel."

"Yeah, I get that. Let's go back to Hongjoong-hyung, and he'll tell us exactly what to do. That'll take your mind off this, hopefully."

"Hopefully," San echoed, standing up along with Wooyoung to go back to the leader's office.

They were received by Jongho and Hongjoong poring over stacks of papers and signing some of them, Jongho as a witness to everything and Hongjoong as the officer/ agent-in-command. Soobin was seated on the floor in the corner, laptop perched on his thighs as he clicked away at it.

Wooyoung and San explained what they had learnt as briefly as possible, and Hongjoong hardly looked surprised, seeming to have already expected such an answer.

"That is...at least, it is managable," Hongjoong shut his eyes, exhaling loudly, "We can make sure San does not come in contact with that man again, once we hand him into the authorities. I'm expecting a call from Yunho and Mingi any minute now, so both of you can just sit down until I receive one."

They complied, and stayed quiet in their seats, San nervously fidgeting with his own shirt, until the phone rang about five minutes later, and Hongjoong picked it up at once, looking sombre, "Yes?"

A short conversation ensued, and there wasn't much talking on Hongjoong's part, but Wooyoung could tell he'd found out some interesting things, considering the curious tilt of his brow and the widening of his eyes in between.

"One second, I'm putting you on speaker," Hongjoong said, and placed the phone on the table for the others in the room to listen in. "Can you repeat what you just said, Mingi-yah?"

"Yeah," the deep timbre of Mingi's voice rang through the phone, "Agent 2416 and I have found the things that were taken from our other agents who were locked down here, their badges, weapons and trackers. We have come to a sort of office room, a little further down, and Agent 2416 is currently going through a large register. It seems to have the names of allied members, associates and organisations with Skull."

"Are there any familiar names?" Hongjoong questioned.

"Yes," Yunho answered, his voice sounding a little distorted, like he was speaking loudly from another side of the room so he'd be heard, "There are many names here that are known to us, both as members of SCAR and as other wanted criminals. It has details of almost everything about them, their lives, families, addresses. It was almost like Ethan was doing background checks on each one of these members. Actually, I think that's _exactly_ what he was doing."

"How many are there?"

"Well, I think....around seventy or so, and some of them are organisations. But most of these are names of freelance criminals and wanted men and women who are known to us. I shall bring this with me when Agent 2411 and I return to HQ."

"Okay," Hongjoong said, "Good work. You're sure there's no one else around?"

"Yes, hyung," Mingi answered, "We checked the whole place as soon we came in here, and we've been blocking away all the exits we could find, except the one we came through. Kim Ethan seems to have found a way out already. The body of his assistant, Shin Jihyun, has been disposed of. An examination will be done soon, by the medical team, so we can determine something about her personal life and relatives."

"Okay. I will see you two soon. Be careful."

"Yes, hyung!"

The line went dead, and Hongjoong looked up at the couple with a small smile on his face, "Even if we don't get Kim Ethan now, we have enough information to last us a decade of work, hm?"

Wooyoung pursed his lips, "Is there any-"

The door flew open, and Yeosang rushed in with a laptop in his arms, Yeonjun right behind him.

"We found him!" The former exclaimed, "We found Ethan!"

Hongjoong sprung to attention, "Where is he?"

"He has the same tracker in him that San had, and it's connected to his phone, thank goodness we found it. He's- he's at..." Yeosang looked at the screen and rattled off an address, Hongjoong hurriedly scribbling it down in a notepad.

"Okay, we-"

"Wait, what?!" That was San, who was looking between the leader and Yeosang in bewilderment.

"What?" Yeosang asked.

"You sure that's the address?"

"Yeah, we're positive, why?" Yeonjun asked, frowning.

San looked at Wooyoung with a grimace, "Because- because that's my place. My apartment."

"Oh," Hongjoong said simply, "Well, we're heading there now, anyway. At least you knowing the place saves us the time of searching for it. Wooyoungie, you remember it, right?"

The younger nodded, looking up at San with determined eyes, "It might get messy," he warned, and San simply nodded in understanding, meaning that they could do what they had to.

"I don't even know if I'll be able to afford the place after this, considering that that asshole was paying for all my expenses. Go crazy in there for all I care," San shrugged, "Just deal with him."

Wooyoung nodded, standing up, "Do I call Yunho and Mingi?"

Hongjoong nodded, "Tell them to come straight there. The rest of us are leaving _now_. Yeonjunnie can stay behind and help out with stuff here. Jongho will come with us. San, stay with Seonghwa in the infirmary, don't go anywhere else till we get back," he began shuffling his papers together and placed them on his desk in a neat stack, "Get what you need. Weapons, tranquilizers, anything that will help. We don't know if he's even alone in there."

Yeosang nodded and kept the laptop open on the desk, Soobin standing up to help the others.

Wooyoung took a quick second to wrap an arm around San's waist in a side-hug, pulling him in and placing a kiss on his temple before whispering the words, "Be safe," in his ear. He pulled away, San nodding at him reassuringly as he did so.

He allowed himself one last look at San as the older began walking to the infirmary, before he joined the others, jogging to the weapons room to grab some stuff.

_It's the last time I'm running after this guy. It's now or never._

The resolution made Wooyoung's blood rush with a certain vigour, and he thought of a constellation covered neck and seductive, feline eyes as he slipped a gun into his holster and a jacket around his shoulders, following the others outside.

*****

San's apartment seemed quite empty from the outside, but they knew better. At least, it was confirmation enough that Ethan was probably alone in there. Soobin had Yeosang's laptop placed on his thighs, making sure that the wanted man was still in the same place.

They stopped a few blocks away, and made sure the area was relatively clear, before deeming it okay to leave the van and going to the apartment.

Hongjoong led the way, with Wooyoung, Jongho and then Yeosang following him. They walked up the stairs stealthily, Soobin in their ear confirming Kim Ethan's location as they did so.

Once they reached the front door, Wooyoung stayed a little behind, scanning the area with his gun out while Hongjoong and Jongho would work on getting them in.

"It's open," Hongjoong whispered, and all of them pulled out their guns, holding them up as they walked in, facing different directions, cautious with their every move.

Hongjoong held up one finger, and then two, and then three, meaning a countdown. When the third one was raised, he waited for a nod of confirmation from each of them before taking a deep breath and speaking loudly, "Kim Ethan! We know you are here. Show yourself now, or the consequences will be severe."

Wooyoung heard a sound from the bedroom, and whipped around, facing that direction along with Yeonjun at his side.

It seemed that the man was planning to be cooperative, because in less than ten seconds, Kim Ethan was stepping out of San's bedroom, dressed in the same clothes from the previous night, but still dirtied physically, and a little bruised up because of his brawl with Hongjoong. He raised an eyebrow at them, like he was looking for a challenge, but Hongjoong wasn't having it. They'd already had more than enough of dancing around the man. He wanted to finish this at once.

"978," Hongjoong said lowly, "Cuffs."

Yeosang obediently put his gun inside and produced a pair of handcuffs, which he handed over to Hongjoong.

"Kim Ethan, we know you are unarmed, and we will not hesitate to shoot if you refuse to co-operate. So listen, for your own good," Hongjoong threatened.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, "So you found me. Impressive. But that doesn't put you one step ahead in any way."

Hongjoong ignored the man, stepping forward with the pair of handcuffs, "Turn around, hands behind your head."

Ethan simply looked at Hongjoong like he was a pathetic creature, turning around slowly.

His hands raised up, and Hongjoong approached him, but before he could do anything else, Ethan made a break for it, running straight ahead. Away from them, towards the balcony.

"You're going to jump? Are you crazy?! It's suicide!" Hongjoong cried incredulously, trying to keep up with the man who'd already made his way outside.

Ethan turned around and gave them one last look before launching himself off the railing of the balcony, disappearing as he went down.

Wooyoung let out a shocked cry and ran forward, leaning over the side to see....a fucking tarpaulin sheet on a mattress, Ethan climbing out of it and beginning to sprint.

Gosh, he'd planned it.

He'd even planned an escape route from the inside of San's apprehend, having thought that far ahead in the limited time he'd had. Wooyoung would've been impressed by his foresight, if it weren't for the circumstances.

"Hyung, do we pursue?"

"Yes," Hongjoong said, one foot already over the railing, his eyes following Kim Ethan, who'd begun running through the gate and away from the building.

They jumped over the railing one by one, landing on the thick material that cushioned the fall, and Hongjoong began barking orders at them even as they tailed the man who was running, chasing him through the street.

"We can't afford to get in the van, we have to run after him, or we might lose him," he panted, "Operator- call 2411 and 2416. Let them know our location. You stay in pursuit with the van as far as you can, but stay behind. Ask the two of them to intercept Ethan from the other side."

Soobin spoke in his ear, and he confirmed the orders, before putting all his focus into chasing the man running ahead of them.

Yeosang and Jongho still had their guns out just in case, and Hongjoong led the way, sharp eyes catching Ethan's every movement.

They chased him through the streets of Seoul, some people stopping and staring at the sight.

They turned into the main road, Jongho hurriedly making sure to stop the traffic as Ethan weaved through cars, buses and scooters, looking over his shoulder every now and then.

Wooyoung cursed when the man disappeared down an alleyway, knowing that it would be hard to track anyone there, within the winding streets that had turns and dead ends in several places.

Hongjoong took a deep breath and shot an apologetic look at the driver in the car ahead of him, before placing one hand on it and hoisting himself over to avoid weaving through the traffic, which was halted due to Jongho's quick work of stopping the cars and other vehicles until they were out of the area.

Wooyoung, Jongho and Yeosang followed the leader's actions, also choosing to leap over a few cars on the way, while they crossed the four-laned road as fast as they could, in hot pursuit of Ethan.

Hongjoong gestured for the traffic to continue moving, and they heard the vehicles behind them roar to life as they dashed down the alley they'd seen Ethan disappear into, catching just the tail end of his figure slipping into a narrower street to the right.

They quickened their pace as much as they could, following him into the busy but narrow street, making people jump and flinch left and right at the sight of the armed men dressed in dark clothes, pursuing another man. It wouldn't take much thinking for the common man to firgure out what was going on.

Hongjoong looked back at the other three, "Okay, 2817. You stay behind. Do damage control in this area so no one reports this incident to the media. Make a call to Eden-nim. The rest of us will go on ahead."

Jongho nodded, lagging behind the other three, eventually coming to a halt in the middle of the street.

He did as he was told to, flashing his badge at the people who'd seen them and telling them to remain calm and not alert anyone else about the situation, before grabbing his phone and making a call to their boss.

Meanwhile, the other three continued chasing after Kim Ethan, being led in a maze of lefts and rights, the man seeming to know his way around the interior of Seoul surprisingly well.

They continued the chase, unable to take action or shoot at all, in fear of hitting an innocent bystander or causing unnecessary conflicts in public spaces. Or even worse, getting themselves known to the public as the special forces.

Suddenly, Ethan darted to the left, running into a wider, more populated road, and then it clicked.

"Hyung!" Wooyoung gasped, "He's heading to the mental hospital! His daughter's in there!"

Hongjoong continued running, "Looks like that. Fine," he said, tapping the device in his ear without stopping his legs, "Operator- Ask the other two to come to the Seoul Mental Hospital, where Kim Kyungran is being held. We suspect Ethan is heading there as well."

He received an affirmation, and the three of them continued running, knowing that this was the only possible route they could take for now, because if they did try a shorter route, they had a higher chance of being evaded.

Ethan ran down the road leading to the hospital, and Wooyoung smirked, completely sure of his presumptions.

Sure enough, he skidded to a halt outisde the gate, giving the other three a few seconds of time to get closer.

But then, to everyone's shock, a middle-aged man skirting the edge of fifty, did the unthinkable, and placed one leg on the first bar of the gate, and one hand on the next, beginning to scale the tall, eleven-foot structure.

"How is he doing that?" Yeosang panted.

"I don't know and I don't care," Hongjoong said, just as Ethan made it over and dropped to the other side with an audible thud, "We just need to go after him."

The leader quickly followed Ethan's actions, climbing up hastily and waiting for the others to join him before the three of them jumped down together, light on their feet after years of training.

The watchman inside looked at them in shock, and Wooyoung flashed his badge at him to appease him as they ran inside, behind Ethan's disappearing form.

Hongjoong approached the front desk, "Seoul Special Task Force, Agent 1008," he showed the woman his badge, "A man just came in here. Middle-aged, black hair, looks foreign."

The woman nodded, "Yes?"

"Where did he go?"

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid that's-"

"Listen here; he is an extremely dangerous, wanted criminal and he is now running free inside an asylum. So you had better give us that information _now_ or we will not hesitate to use force," he gritted out.

The woman squeaked in shock, hurriedly shuffling some papers on the desk and pulling out a sheet, "Kim Kyungran. Room 216, second floor," just as they turned away from her and begun walking away, she called after them, "You'll need clearance!"

Hongjoong ignored her, simply decided to deal with it when they got to that point, and walked past the elevator and to the stairs, since it was faster if they ran.

They sped up the two flights of stairs, and looked around a little, before they saw a turning hallway to the right. It was blocked with a wired door, a doctor standing outside with a writing pad in her hands.

"Excuse me," Wooyoung asked her, "Where is Room 216?"

She looked surprised, "Kyungran-ssi is not taking any visitors yet. Who are you?"

"Seoul Special Task Force," Hongjoong showed her his badge, "Did a man go inside that room just now?"

She nodded, "Yes, he said his name was Minhee, her father. He comes here often."

"Jeong Minhee?" Wooyoung asked and when he received a nod, he cursed, turning to Hongjoong for guidance.

Their leader simply nodded, leaning forward for a handshake, "Thank you for telling us," he said, turning away, much to Yeosang and Wooyoung's shock.

"Hyung! Aren't we going there?" Yeosang asked when they were out of earshot.

Hongjoong nodded, "Yes, but we can't let her know, just in case she is allied with Ethan. Let's wait until she leaves here, and then we can get inside. Either way, I'm sure Ethan isn't going to be leaving, and he's probably confident that we lost him because we weren't behind him when he came in here. I swiped an entry card from the doctor's coat when she wasn't looking, so we just have to wait for our chance. Plus, it's not very likely that we'll be allowed in there with arms, so we can't do this when anyone else is around."

Wooyoung was impressed by his leader's sharpness and quick thinking, "Okay," he said simply, walking along with the other two to stand next to the water fountain at the corner of the hallway, simply biding their time in silence for a few minutes before they heard a pager beep, and sure enough, the lady doctor took a glance at it and began briskly walking away to the other side, past the three of them and into another room.

"Come on," Hongjoong told them softly, walking forward after checking that there was no one else around. The other two followed him, and the oldest swiped the card in the machine on the gate, a small beep letting them know it was open, before they pushed it in and walked inside the hallway, letting the gate fall shut behind them.

It didn't take long to find Room 216, since it was the first door on their left. The room was closed from the outside, but they could hear voices inside.

Hongjoong gave the other two a nod, the three of them slowly getting their guns at the ready before Wooyoung stepped towards the door, aiming a sharp kick right at it, strong enough to make it fall open even if it was locked.

Turned out it wasn't, but Wooyoung kicking it open still gave rise to a loud sound, probably loud enough to alert other people in the hospital.

Well, they were only there for one purpose either way.

"Kim Ethan and Kim Kyungran!" Hongjoong said loudly, uncaring of how they could clearly hear a commotion from behind them, probably the sound of doctors and nurses being alarmed by the sudden noise.

The aforementioned father and daughter were seated in the room, and Ethan looked honestly surprised to see them there, as if he'd hadn't been expecting them to have gotten clearance to get in. He stood up suddenly when he saw the agents enter, eyes wide with shock.

Kim Kyungran had her hands in a pair of handcuffs, the ones she'd been kept in for safety, and her leg was chained to the bedpost because of one particularly alarming incident in which she'd tried to flee the hospital.

Ethan had been seated on the visitors' chair in front of her bed, the chair and a single table being the only things in that room apart from the bed and lights, quite bare and gloomy.

His eyes widened, "How did you get in here? I took care of the doctor so she wouldn't let you in!"

Yeosang narrowed his eyes, "You _took care_ of her?"

Ethan had the decency to look frightened, "She's hypnotised. Wasn't supposed to let you in."

Hongjoong smirked, "Well, good thing she doesn't know we're here, then."

Ethan stood up, moving to stand defensively in front of Kyungran, "What do you want?"

"What do you think?" Hongjoong snapped, "Hands up, behind your head."

"And if I don't?"

"We'll shoot," Wooyoung said, and on second thought, added, "And your daughter as well."

That last part seemed to have an effect, as he took a deep breath, "Hm." It was almost a minute before he spoke again.

"I know this is the end for me. I was expecting this sooner or later, the moment you all killed Jihyun and left me down there," Ethan closed his eyes, slowly turning around, "I knew I wasn't going to be free, that you'd find me eventually. So I came here to see my daughter, to see my Kyungranie one last time."

Kyungran made a sound, one between a wail and and a whimper, her scarred face twisted with pain; not physical, but emotional pain.

The moment the man's back was turned, Yeosang and Wooyoung exchanged looks before the younger put his gun into his belt and took out a pair of handcuffs from his jacket, approaching Ethan from behind.

He was just about to grab the man's hands and put the handcuffs on him when a thunderous commotion from behind them caused everyone in the room to whip around as they were, including Ethan.

"Security! Hands up!"

Three men, bulky and dressed in dark blue security uniforms, were at the door, pistols pointed straight ahead, but not facing anyone in particular.

Hongjoong tried speaking, "Excuse me, we're the-"

"I said hands up!" The one in the middle yelled, and Hongjoong reluctantly did so, raising his hands into the air, gun still in his fist. "And drop the weapon!"

The leader sighed before dropping the gun, which landed on the floor with a resounding clatter. Then he spoke slowly, carefully, "I need you to listen to me. The three of us-" he cocked his head to the side, "-are part of the Seoul Special Task Force. Agent 1008, 978 and 2410. This man is not who he says he is, and he needs to be put behind bars."

The man ignored him quite obviously, "How did you get in here with weapons?"

"A card I took from one of the doctors, but it was all in good reason. Now would you please listen to me before something bad happens?"

"I'm going to need your names before I believe that story about you being secret agents," the man threatened, his gun still in the air.

"I'm sorry, I cannot divulge our real names, but-" he cautiously lowered a single hand, "-this is my proof," he opened the lapel of his jacket and showed the man his badge, proof that he was indeed who he said he was.

His eyes widened, and his hand fell, along with the other two men as well, "We are very sorry, sir. Is there anything that you require?"

Hongjoong nodded, and they all lowered their hands, "Yes. Please make sure that this incident does not get out of the four walls of this hospital. This is a highly classified case, and the man in this room will not be revealed for who he is until the case is closed. So I request you to ensure this. And if anyone, the local police or anybody else, has been alerted about this, I hope you can ensure their cooperation as well in keeping this matter hushed."

The security guard in question bowed obediently, "Of course, sir. Consider it done," he said, before walking out of the room, leaving them alone again.

Ethan scoffed, "You talk big."

Hongjoong turned his head to face him, "Shut up," he dismissed the man, turning to Wooyoung, "Agent 2410, please, do the needful."

Wooyoung nodded, before manhandling Ethan to turn around again, forcing him into a more convenient position. He pulled the skull ring off the man's finger and slipped it into his own pocket, not wanting to make the same mistake twice. He'd already messed up by letting Minhee kill himself, he wasn't going to let this mam die as well, taking all the information he had with him to his grave.

He took out the handcuffs, the 'click' of them being the most satisfying thing he'd heard in while, as he locked them in place, binding Ethan's hands together, "Kim Ethan," he said, "You are under arrest for treason and for the violation of human rights. Other charges will be looked into. You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

There was a loud sigh, "Kyungran-ah," Ethan bemoaned, "Kyungran-ah I'm sorry."

The woman in question made a sound. It sounded like a cry of pain, but Wooyoung couldn't be sure.

Yeosang was conversing lowly with Jongho and Yeonjun through his earpiece, and Hongjoong was taking careful note of the scene around them, and making sure that no one came their way. It seemed like the security guard had done his job well.

"1008," Wooyoung called, turning to Hongjoong, "Are we done here?"

Hongjoong looked at him, and his eyes were almost proud, accompanying the obvious relief, "Yeah."

_It's over._

_It's really over,_ Wooyoung thought to himself, _It was a long ride, but I feel like it might have been worth it, in the end._

"Nobody move!"

A loud, booming voice broke the silence, and everyone turned in surprise.

Wooyoung deadpanned, "Hi Mingi."

That was when the aforementioned agent looked at the scene inside the room, expression setting into one of comical realisation and disbelief, "Oh."

Yunho appeared behind him, "Wait, you're already done?"

Yeosang nodded, "Thanks, you two, for showing up so late," he mocked.

Yunho whined, "It isn't out fault! Traffic was especially bad, and we had a lot of cleanup to do down there!"

"Sure, sure."

"Hey!"

"What? I did say 'sure', Mingi-yah,"

"Yeah, but you said it like _that_!"

"Well, I can't help it if-"

Hongjoong took a deep breath.

"Everybody shut up!"

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay idk why I ended it like that, that was a shit ending to the chapter I know excuse me, my brain is fried after that beautiful masterpiece that was Port of Call, so. 
> 
> Well, anyway, that marks the end of it, and Ethan is finally in captivity!! Yay😊 I hope you guys liked this chapter (hopefully more than I did, I know it ain't that good but yeah) 
> 
> Comment down below and let me know what you thought of this one, and what you're looking forward to in the next! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We're done, San. I'm no longer your boyfriend."
> 
> San dropped his hand, tears thickening, "Wha-"
> 
> "Shh, hear me out," Wooyoung bit his lip, looking San in the eye, "Hi, I'm Wooyoung. I think you're cute; do you want to go out with me this weekend?"
> 
> San got the hint, twinkle returning to his eye, "Hey, Wooyoung-ah. I'm San. Yeah, that sounds great."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy guysss!!! 
> 
> Hope y'all are staying safe❤️  
> I'm back with chapter 22!! This one, I guess, is kind of a filler chapter, but I hope you guys like it anyway 😜 
> 
> This fic is ending soon 😔😔, there'll probably be around 24-25 chapters and then an epilogue, so you can look forward to that!
> 
> Leave comments down below and let me know what you think!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

"Agent 2411, Song Mingi. Agent 2416, Jung Yunho. Agent 978, Kang Yeosang. Agent 2410, Jung Wooyoung. Agent 2817, Choi Jongho. Agent 1045, Park Seonghwa. Agent 1008, Kim Hongjoong. And last but not least, Operators-in-command Choi Yeonjun and Choi Soobin."

All of the agents present- everyone except Seonghwa- nodded, confirming their names and numbers.

They were all gathered in their boss's office, where they had reported to straight from the mental hospital, Kim Ethan in tow. The said criminal had been left with some of Eden's men for safety, while the rest of them had gone on ahead to meet with Eden and report to him that their case was officially closed. The building was a little further away from their HQ, and it was a little bit of a detour, but they had to go there after every completed mission for further instructions, if any. Eden always preferred to see his agents in person after their missions, so he'd made it a rule to come and see him after every one, success or failure.

And in the present, Eden smiled, shaking hands with each of them separately, "Good job done, all of you."

Hongjoong spoke as their representative, "Thank you, sir," he bowed, and rose again.

"As for this case, I will take over from here. Kim Ethan will be taken to the Police Station, and Kim Kyungran will be questioned by professional interrogators. All of you are dismissed for today. You may go back to the HQ and file in the official reports by the end of this week. Seonghwa's medical expenses will be paid for."

Yunho stepped forward, "Sir, if I may," he revealed a thick, bound register, placing it on the desk, "Mingi and I found this in Kim Ethan's operating base. We thoroughly searched the area and there seemed to be no other people, but we would like it if another check could be conducted."

Eden nodded, turning the register around to open it up, "Of course. Yunho, you need not worry about this case any further. It will be handled as I see fit. And this is...?"

"A register of allies. Members of Skull, old members of SCAR who are still active, and even some from other criminal groups."

Eden raised his eyebrows, "Very good. This, I'm sure, will give you all enough work for the next ten months at least, hm?"

"What do you mean?" Hongjoong asked.

Ethan slid the register back over to their side, smiling, "This is now your next assignment, Agent 1008, and your subordinates in this division. Your job is to track down every single person in this file and investigate them, capture them, do whatever is necessary to reduce the impact that this organisation created on the country. Is that understood?"

Hongjoong's eyes widened, "But that will take us-"

"Months? Maybe a year? It doesn't matter. What matters is that this issue is completely researched and taken care of. Do you understand?"

"Ye- yes, sir."

"Good," he nodded, "You are all dismissed. You may leave."

"Thank you sir," each one of them thanked the man and bowed, before leaving the room one after another, Wooyoung being the last to step towards the door.

Just before he stepped out, Eden called him back with a soft voice, "And you, Jung Wooyoung."

He turned, gesturing for the others to go, and that he'd join them, "Yes sir?"

"I understand you have ties with Choi San."

Wooyoung nodded slowly, "Will that be a problem?"

"What prompted you to break the rules and keep him in your residence, in secret?" Eden asked instead, ignoring the previous question.

Wooyoung looked away guiltily, "I'm sorry sir. I understand if there are consequences."

Eden studied him, "Hm. Not yet, when this case is so fresh out of the oven. In time, perhaps, your past actions will affect you. Do you think that what you did was wise?"

"No, sir."

"So you understand the gravity of your mistake?"

"Yes, sir," he was giving simple answers, not wanting to justify himself in any way, because Eden was right. Of course he was. Wooyoung knew that what he'd done had been completely off the grid, and completely stupid.

"Then when you get back and you are working on that report, make sure to omit it out of the hard copy, all right?"

Wooyoung looked up in shock, "But-"

"No need to question me, Wooyoung. Your actions were indeed wrong, but you seem to understand what you have done. I am sure that such behaviour will not be repeated, and it was, ultimately, that selfless act of yours for an injured boy, that brought such a huge organisation's leader to his knees. So you are pardoned, although you are not in the right."

Wooyoung nodded, eyes still wide in relief that his mistake hadn't cost hin his job, "Thank you sir. I won't do something like that again."

"I'm sure you will not. Now, you may leave."

Wooyoung clenched his hands into fists as he bowed another time before leaving the room, heart thundering in his chest.

Finally, it felt like the end of something.

It felt like something was over, like Ethan was done tormenting them and controlling San and ruining lives.

Finally, Wooyoung felt at ease.

It was with a smile on his face that he approached his colleagues and friends, and slung an arm around Yeosang's shoulder, sighing in contentment.

"That was a tough mission, huh?" His best friend asked, and Wooyoung's smile didn't waver even as he nodded.

"Yeah, it was. I'm going to sleep for like, fourteen hours tonight."

"Maybe you'll want to see your boyfriend first, hm?" Yeosang teased, bumping hips with him, "God, I can't believe you went and got yourself a boyfriend while I was cooped up down there like a fugitive."

Wooyoung immediately felt bad, averting his eyes, "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Woah, no! I'm just messing with you," Yeosang reassured, leading him to the van where Jongho was seated at the wheel, having taken over from Yeonjun to drive them back to HQ, "Besides, you're happy with him, right? That's all that matters."

Wooyoung smiled softly, "Thank you, Yeosang-ah. Yeah, San does make me really happy."

"I'm glad."

*****

Wooyoung walked through the doors of the infirmary, his lips curled up into a smile, "Hey," he called.

San, who'd been engrossed in his phone, looked up in surprise, "Oh, you're back! What happened?"

Seonghwa was on the bed, awake but still obviously drained, San sitting next to him on a chair. He smiled when he saw Wooyoung, expectant eyes catching the younger's.

Wooyoung nodded, "It's over. We got him."

San rose, dropping the phone on the bed, "Really?"

"Mm," he hummed, walking forward and willingly into San's open arms for a bear-hug, despite the fact that he was probably sweaty and dirty from all the chasing they'd done that afternoon.

His hands landed on San's back, and the older held him tightly, relieved sigh blowing across Wooyoung's nape, "Thank god."

Wooyoung stepped back, looking at Seonghwa, "How're you doing?"

Seonghwa raised his eyebrows, "You first. Tell us what happened."

But he never got a chance to speak, because right then, Hongjoong burst into the room and jogged to Seonghwa, leaning down to kiss the older on the mouth urgently, and yet softly. "Hi," he breathed as he pulled away.

Seonghwa smiled, hand clutching one of his boyfriend's smaller ones, "Hi baby. Wooyoung was just about to tell us what happened with you guys."

Hongjoong shook his head, "No. _Wooyoung_ has to go deal with San and clear up things on his side," he gestured for the younger boys to get up, "You guys go catch up by yourselves. I'll talk to Seonghwa."

Neither of them protested, happy to get some time to themselves, and rose, hands finding each other naturally to intertwine their fingers.

Seonghwa suppressed a smile at the domestic sight, "Bye, guys."

"Take care, hyung!" Wooyoung called over his shoulder as he and San began to walk away from the infirmary, passing two other occupied beds and a few empty ones on their way out. All the while, their hands stayed joined at their sides, and Wooyoung began leading San to his own office.

He knew Yeosang was with Yeonjun and Soobin, clearing up some other stuff, so he and San would have athe time to themselves, to talk and sort out all that they needed to.

Wooyoung took a seat in his desk chair, and San sat opposite to him in Yeosang's, "What happened?" San asked.

Wooyoung sighed, "Ethan is an asshole, but he apparently loves his daughter. We chased him all the way to her mental ward, and we managed to corner him there. He's right now in custody, but..."

San frowned, "What?"

"We need you to go in for questioning," Wooyoung answered, "And I'm afraid it's not a matter of choice."

San nodded solemnly, "I figured that would be the case. If it's any consolation, I really did have nothing to do with all of this, intentionally at least."

Wooyoung pressed his lips together, "Hm, that may be true, San-ah, but don't you have to be willing to be put under hypnosis for it to work well?"

"I don't know..." San said unsurely, "I definitely don't _remember_ any of it happening to me."

Wooyoung wrung his fingers, knuckles cracking loudly, "We did read about that one technique of hypnotizing people in their sleep, right? Could that be what he did to you?"

San shrugged, "It could. I just-" he cut himself off, clenching his hands into frustrated fists.

Wooyoung scooted his chair closer, "Is something wrong?"

San looked up at him, and Wooyoung was taken aback at the sight of the shine in his eyes, tears just on the edge of spilling over, "I just....can't believe that- that my noona and my father did-"

Wooyoung lowered his gaze, "People aren't always just what you see on the surface, San."

San inhaled a shaky breath, "I'm not okay."

Wooyoung felt his heart drop, and reached a hand forward slowly, meaning to take San's hand in his. He felt something in him tremble with precarious emotion when San flinched away, pulling back to avoid touching Wooyoung, "I'm sorry," Wooyoung said softly, "Is there anything I can do?"

San shook his head, closing his eyes slowly before opening them again, eyelashes thick with tears, "No...I- I think I just need some time."

Wooyoung frowned, "Do you want me to leave you alone, Sannie?"

San looked up at him, biting his lip almost as if he were scared to say his next words, "No. Just...can I-" he paused.

"Hey, what is it?" Wooyoung prompted softly when San went silent again.

San nervously posed his question, "Can I keep staying with you for a while? I'm sorry to be a burden, but just...just until I can find my own place, and another job to pay off everything, because I don't think I can afford that apartment anymore. Ethan apparently covered my expenses for a few months, but that's the extent of it. I'll need some way to make money so I can fend for myself after that. And I want to help my eomma and noona as well, back home."

Wooyoung's frown melted into a smile, "Of course. I'm sure Yeosangie wouldn't mind. You're not a burden, Sannie. Don't think that way about yourself."

San's expression relaxed, although it wasn't close to a smile just yet, "Thank you."

Wooyoung nodded, "Never think twice about asking me anything, okay? I really screwed up by judging you like that before, and missing so many obvious clues. If anything, I owe you."

San looked uncomfortable at the notion of that, "Please don't say that. I made you do so much because of me. Your partner was being held hostage down there with no way out, and all because of me."

"In that case..." Wooyoung stood up, walking to stand in front of San and holding out a hand for him to take. San looked up curiously, and Wooyoung let his lips curl up into a small smile, "Let's start over. I'm breaking up with you."

San's eyes widened, "Huh?"

Wooyoung shook his head, still smiling, "Just stand, San-ah." The older slowly took the hand that was offered to him and stood, towering over Wooyoung's smaller frame just a tad. Wooyoung had the thought that San was at the perfect height to kiss his forehead, and it made his smile widen, "We're done, San. I'm no longer your boyfriend."

San dropped his hand, tears thickening, "Wha-"

"Shh, hear me out," Wooyoung bit his lip, looking San in the eye, "Hi, I'm Wooyoung. I think you're cute; do you want to go out with me this weekend?"

San got the hint, twinkle returning to his eye, "Hey, Wooyoung-ah. I'm San," he held a hand out, and Wooyoung took it and shook firmly, all amiable smiles and sparkly eyes.

San felt his heart flutter, as he proceeded to fall in love with his....ex-boyfriend? New boyfriend? His... _Wooyoung_ all over again, "I think that sounds great," he said.

But still....something felt off. San quickly dismissed the feeling, and close not to think about it right then, assuming that it was probably just nervousness; nervousness about how things would go after this. He suppressed the sigh building in his throat, and dropped his hand away from Wooyoung's, still maintaining his pleasant expression.

Wooyoung nodded, and their hands fell to their sides, "Great," he stepped away from San, sitting down again, "Now, back to business."

San sat down as well, "There's something else?"

"A lot of things, San. I'm going to have to train you for a proper interrogation, so that you know how it works. You'll have to go in tomorrow, so classes are out of the picture, I'm afraid. But you should be able to get back to college the day after that, if you want," Wooyoung explained.

"Okay," San nodded.

"Oh, and you have to sign a paper that says you'll be quiet about this whole affair, because our division is not exactly....public."

San shrugged, "Sure. Who would I tell, anyway? I don't exactly have friends outside of this place."

"Uh...oh," Wooyoung said stupidly, not knowing how to reply to such a remark.

"I'm sorry-" San began, sensing his discomfort, but Wooyoung shook his hand, brushing it off.

"No, no don't apologize, it's okay," Wooyoung said, "Let's just...get to that later, okay?"

San hummed in acknowledgement, silently thanking Wooyoung for not being too pushy about his words or reading too deep into them. 

"You will probably have to talk your mother and sister about all of this. They don't know anything, and I'd rather they heard it from you than the police, or even me."

San nodded, "Yeah, I'll talk to them tonight."

A ghost of a smile passed across Wooyoung's face, "You want to go back to my place now? I can give you some pointers about how the questioning works, and then we can get some rest. How's that sound?"

San nodded, "That sounds great. But are we even allowed to leave here?"

Wooyoung shrugged, "I'm sure Hongjoong-hyung wouldn't mind. As long as you're with one of us, it should be fine."

"Okay then."

"Yeah, gimme a sec," Wooyoung said, before standing up to grab his phone and call Hongjoong to tell him that he and San would be leaving HQ.

Once he was done, he hung up and slipped the phone into his pocket, "Yeah, we can leave," he said, "I'll drive us. Plus, I really need a shower in my own bathroom, I feel like crap."

San giggled, "Me too."

"Mm, so..." Wooyoung expectantly held out a hand which San took, and then the two of them stood, walking out of the room.

They passed Yeosang on the way, who waved to them, and Wooyoung considered telling him right away that San wanted to stay for a while, but he figured it wasn't the time, not so soon after everything had happened, and when Yeosang himself was so busy and had other things to worry about.

So he simply smiled at his partner, who gave him a teasing wink at the sight of his and San's joined hands, clearly insinuating _something_ that was probably off the table at the moment. The younger rolled his eyes as they waved at each other, and Wooyoung and San left, walking out the doors of the building.

It didn't take them long to reach the apartment, and, soon enough, Wooyoung was comforted by the warm water of his own shower, washing himself quickly before letting San do the same.

When they were both cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, they sat opposite each other on Wooyoung's bed, and the younger began to speak.

"So, I'm going to give you something like a mock interrogation now, and you can answer me exactly like you will tomorrow, okay? Just be natural."

San nodded, and Wooyoung began asking him simple questions, starting with his name, address and other basic things before moving onto the thick of the matter, pulling answers from San about his father, his family's ties with SCAR/Skull and the happenings underground that he'd been a part of. He even slipped in a question about himself in the mix, aware that San would definitely be questioned regarding Wooyoung himself.

When he was satisfied, he nodded, smiling, "That wasn't too bad. Just make sure not to go too much into detail. This is an interrogation, so you'll have be to the point, and answer exactly what you're asked. Remember, you always have the option of saying you don't remember something, or you don't know something. That's fine, as long as you stick to the truth. You've done nothing wrong, San-ah, so they can't do anything to you as long as you tell them everything you know, no matter how trivial. Do you understand that?"

San hummed, "Thank you so much for helping me out, honestly. I don't know what I'd do without you, Young-ah."

Wooyoung grinned, "Of course," he said, "I have a few more things to deal with now, so you can get some rest while I take care of that stuff. I'll join you in a few hours, yeah?"

San pouted a little, "Is it really that important? I missed you."

Wooyoung cooed at the sight, reaching forward to cup San's cheek, "Sorry, babe. But it is that important. I promise I'll spend time with you once I'm done, and we don't even have to talk about the mission, okay? We can just hang out."

San's pout faded as he leaned into Wooyoung's gentle touch on his face, almost looking like he was a cat that was about to purr in satisfaction, "Mhm."

Wooyoung gave him a fond smile, before he let his hand fall and stood up, leaving San alone in the bedroom as he walked out to the living room with his laptop and huge notebook for his report.

*****

San's interrogation went well.

Great, even.

It felt like things were finally pointing upwards, when Wooyoung saw him step out of the room with a pleasant expression on his face, not quite enough to constitute a smile, but it wasn't disturbed, or scared in the least. He looked calm and serene, apparently satisfied by the events that had conspired inside the room.

"Hey," San greeted, walking towards Wooyoung and Yeosang, "That wasn't too bad. They were actually nice to me."

"Yeah," Yeosang replied, "They won't be mean or demanding unless you prove to be hard to crack. I'm guessing you answered everything easily?"

San shrugged, "Well... Some things I didn't know, or remember, but I just said so, like Wooyoung told me to. They didn't seem too bothered by it, thankfully."

"That's good," Wooyoung guided San over to a corner with a hand on his back, and lowered his voice to a whisper, "Hey, did they ask about...us?"

San nodded, "Yeah, I did tell them that we have feelings for each other, that's all, but that guy didn't seem to want to push it beyond that at all."

Wooyoung exhaled in relief. Clearly, Eden had dealt with the people who were supposed to be questioning them, and mentioned to them that they needn't bother about Wooyoung and San's.... _social_ relations. Wooyoung had even left out a few things in the report, like he'd been told to, and the others had done so as well, fixing up their stories so they were all exactly the same.

Taehyun and his friends had been omitted from the list of people they needed to question, since Wooyoung had already dealt with them before. Apart from that, the agents themselves had to go in as well, and Wooyoung was already done with that, since his session wasn't nearly as long or tedious as San's, the latter of which had taken almost two whole hours.

"Okay," Wooyoung acknowledged, still whispering, "You did leave out the parts where I did the 'less-than-legal' stuff, right?"

San nodded, "Actually, I was never even questioned about all of that. It was mostly just the things pertaining to me alone, like the hypnosis' effect and what I remembered about it."

So Eden had worked his magic yet again. Wooyoung couldn't believe how good he was at covering up tracks. After a brief pause and a well-earned mental applause for his boss, Wooyoung hummed and began walking away from the building and outside, to where he and Yeosang had parked the car. The latter had come along with them to deal with some things of his own, and for his questioning as well.

It was a silent ride back to HQ, and when they got back, the three of them beelined it to Hongjoong's office first, to give him the basic details of the interrogation.

That passed by quickly as well, with San being the one who spoke the most, Wooyoung and his partner standing by as silent spectators to the conversation between the leader and San.

"Okay, I think we are done for today. One of you can take him back to...where are you staying at the moment, San?" Hongjoong asked.

Yeosang, who'd already been asked about the arrangement, answered, "He's just staying with us, hyung. Until he can find a cheaper place than he has now. Or until he can move into campus."

San grimaced at the idea of moving into one of the campus hostels, but he knew he might have to resort to that if worse came to worst.

Hongjoong nodded, "Okay, as long as you both are okay with it, I'm sure it's fine. Wooyoungie, just don't get... _distracted_ because your boyfriend is living with you and show up late to work, hm?" The leader grinned as he said that, teasing.

Wooyoung's face burned, and the flush reflected itself on San's face as well. The younger whined indignantly, "Hyung, no! Also, we're taking it slow now, so you needn't be worried about _that_ for a while," he mumbled the last part, twisting his fist in the hem of his jacket in embarrassment.

Hongjoong chuckled, "You're easy to rile up," he shuffled around a few papers, picking up three forms, "San-ah, sign these please. This one says you won't disclose anything about the organisation or our work and members to anyone outside this building. The second one is for case confidentiality. The third is for...well, you'll see."

The younger took the papers, and signed the first two easily, eyes raking over the third as he read through it. His dark eyes widened with surprise, "Seriously?!"

Hongjoong simply smiled, "You can fill it if you want."

Wooyoung interrupted, "What? What is it?"

San turned to him, expression still shocked, "He- he offered me a job. Well, an application for a technical assistant here, actually."

Wooyoung whirled around to face the leader, "Seriously?!" He cried, parroting San's previous words.

Hongjoong shrugged, "He needs money, and we could use a few extra hands around here, what with all the work that's been thrust on us because of this case. It's just a chance to apply, it's not like I'm just directly giving him the job, anyway."

San smiled, dimples indenting his cheeks, and he dropped the paper on the desk, excitedly scrambling around it to pull Hongjoong into a hug, "Thank you so much! Of course I'll apply."

Hongjoong returned the hug with laughing eyes, and patted San on the back as he pulled away, going back around the table to look over the specifications and terms. He folded the paper once, and tucked it into his jacket, "Can I look over this and send you my resume, if that's okay?"

Hongjoong nodded, "Take your time. You have exams next week, right?"

San sighed, "Yeah, but I promise I'll check this out as soon as I'm done with that."

The leader smiled, "Alright. So one of you can drop San off at your place now, and come back here..." He paused, "Actually, you know what? Wooyoungie, if you want, I'll give you the day off. There's no rush to get into the next thing right away, and there's still a lot of formalities that need to be taken care of, which you needn't be around for. Yeosang does, though. But you can go, and we can start afresh tomorrow. How's that sound?"

Wooyoung stood up, nodding, "Thank you so much, hyung. That sounds perfect. C'mon, Sannie."

The latter walked over to his lover, and the two of them waved over their shoulders as they left the office and took the elevator downstairs.

They got into Wooyoung's car, and the two of them began the drive back to the apartment in silence.

The younger wasn't sure why, but there was a sort of weird, palpable tension in the air, and it was one that he didn't like. He felt San's gaze on him, heavy, and he didn't turn around, but did find the courage to question it, "What?"

San turned away at once, "Nothing."

Wooyoung frowned, "It's not nothing, San. I can literally hear the gears turning in your head. What's wrong?"

There was a loud sigh, "Nothing's wrong, exactly. But....I don't know, it feels like we moved past this _too easily_."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, like, what happened down there. Even after everything, you still believed a criminal as opposed to my words, you thought I was actually capable of betrayal after I told you that I'm in love with you, Wooyoung. I almost killed myself for you!" San was clearly getting worked up, his heartbeat hastening with restlessness, "And we just said....'okay, let's start over', and just forgot about everything? How can we just do that?"

Wooyoung switched lanes, overtaking a small blue car, "Do you think starting over is a bad idea? With a clean slate, it's better for both of us, San. We can't hold each other accountable for the stupid shit that's over now, anyway."

"Stupid shit?" San echoed, hurt, "Is that what you think of all this? I held a gun to my own head to protect you, and you want to dismiss it and just...forget everything, just like that?"

Wooyoung shook his head, "Of course not. I'm not trying to dismiss your actions. I'm just saying that...it'll be easier to simply move on."

"Why are you looking for easy, Wooyoung?" San asked, "I've never been as scared, as bewildered as I was down there, and that feeling doesn't go away. It's hard to forget, when all I can think about is that I love you more than you could ever love me. That I'm willing to kill myself for you, and you still go ahead and believe that I'm capable of lying to you, anyway."

Wooyoung made a soft sound, like he was hurt, "Oh gosh, Sannie, no! I love you so much, you know that, right?"

San closed his eyes, "If you did, you wouldn't have just gone- 'I'm breaking up with you, now be my new boyfriend?'- like we're children, and we can just use our second chance, our get-out-of-jail card. It doesn't work like that now, we don't _have_ a second chance."

Wooyoung licked his lips, "So what are you thinking we should do, San? Because if we don't move on from this, you'll get hurt. I'll get hurt too. So what's wrong with trying to get out of this the easy way?"

"Oh my god, Wooyoung, you don't get it, do you?!" San was almost yelling now, "I love you! So doing whatever _this_ is, is not the easy way! You know what this is?" He spoke rashly, not caring about whether his words were hurting Wooyoung or not, "This is the lying, cheating way! It's...blocking out the truth! And if that's what you're going to give me as a boyfriend, then I don't want you in my life!" 

They were almost at their building, and Wooyoung's hands were tightly clenched on the wheel, knuckles white, "Are you seriously breaking up with me right now? After everything?"

San breathed out loudly, "I....I don't know. I-" he sniffed, bottom lip trembling, "I will, if you're not willing to acknowledge what happened."

Wooyoung pulled over, parking the car in the garage, "Let's go upstairs," he said bluntly.

"Wooyoung...." San whispered.

"San, let's go," Wooyoung said again, getting out and opening the door for him.

"What are you-"

"I said let's go, San!"

The older flinched, something in him breaking at the harsh tone that Wooyoung had used.

The agent sighed, turning away.

San got out of the car timidly, following the younger without a word. They made their way upstairs, and Wooyoung opened the door with the password, pushing it in and holding it open for San to step inside. He did, and he nervously thumbed at his jeans as Wooyoung's frown deepened, wondering if he'd just screwed everything up permanently.

And then he gasped, as Wooyoung grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the door, crashing their lips together.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hfjsjfajjfksmnvbzc gosh I am so mean🤭 Everything was just solved, and they're fighting again now I feel like a dick🤪🤪 
> 
> But I hope you guys liked that chapter!! Leave comments and let me know what you think, because it's only because of you guys that I'm able to improve myself, so let me know if there are any mistakes as well. 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wooyoung pulled his lips away from San's to whisper, "Stop thinking," he kissed him again, hard, "And just let me do this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I've been writing this for three whole months and it's almost over I'm saddddd I'm gonna miss this fic when it's done😭 
> 
> Well, on a lighter note..... OMFG thank you guys soooo much for over 10.3k hits I can't belive this fic has done this well I'm crying 🤭 
> 
> And...here's 5k words of smut to celebrate xD hope you guys like it, let me know what you think in the comments!! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

San made a startled sound, that was lost into Wooyoung's mouth, swallowed by the harsh kiss they shared.

Wooyoung ran one hand up into San's hair and fisted the locks, tugging urgently as his lips stayed locked with San's, kissing him desperately- like his life depended on it.

San's eyes, that had widened with shock, fell shut, and his hands moved from where they'd been limp at his sides, to slide under the back of Wooyoung's jacket and over his shirt, meeting the familiar warmth.

Wooyoung pulled his lips away from San's to whisper, "Stop thinking," he kissed him again, hard, "And just let me do this."

San nodded, and eagerly pulled Wooyoung into him again, hand moving up to wrap around his nape as their lips met again in a demanding kiss. His mouth fell open in a gasp when Wooyoung's hand pulled his hair, forcing his head to tilt to the side to kiss him deeper, harder, _dirtier_.

The younger pushed his tongue against San's, sucking on the muscle and drinking in the addictive high he felt while kissing him. He had to pull back for air eventually, and felt breathless, the sight of the man in front of him making him weak in the knees. His heart did a little skip in his chest when his eyes trailed to San's neck, the freckles that he loved so much decorating his skin. They were visible even in the dim light of the room, curtains closed to block out the afternoon sunlight.

He didn't ignore the temptation that rose in him, his hands pressing San against the door with an unforgiving grip on his hips, as he bent down and pressed his lips to the dark spots on his neck, tender and loving. He allowed his lips to graze San's neck, mapping the little freckles and scattered moles there, as if he was showing San that he loved each one of them, loved _him_ to the moon and back.

San didn't hold back either, soft sounds escaping his throat with each gentle kiss, head tilted back to give Wooyoung more access.

The younger lifted his gaze to look at San's face, his eyes fluttered shut and long eyelashes casting dark shadows on his flushed cheeks, lips red and kiss-swollen, bottom one sucked in between his teeth.

He felt his chest swell with emotion, and leaned down again, gentle kisses transforming into little nips, licks and sucks on his neck. He left one particularly dark bruise on the side of San's neck, the skin blossoming beautifully like dark petals.

His hands moved to pull San's jacket off his shoulders, and shrug off his own, discarding both somewhere beside them on the floor. He then pulled San's t shirt over his head, palms mapping the plane of his lean torso. He leaned forward to kiss San again, biting on his bottom lip and making him moan into his mouth.

"San," he rasped, "Will you let me fuck you?"

San pulled away and a low moan tumbled from his lips when Wooyoung's thumb tweaked his nipple, "Yeah," he breathed, earlier fight completely forgotten, "Yeah, okay."

Wooyoung placed a kiss on San's jaw, thumbing his nipple with one hand. The older threw his head back, and Wooyoung took the hint, bending down to wrap his lips around the other one, flicking it with his tongue. San breathed out a pleasured sound, his hand firm on the back of Wooyoung's head, not pushing or guiding him, just a firm, familiar weight resting on his scalp.

Wooyoung let his teeth graze the bud teasingly, and revelled in the echoing moan he received in response, slowly trailing kisses and bites down San's torso until he was on his knees in front of him. He looked up, meeting San's hooded gaze with his own, sultry in every sense of the word. He brought his hands to the hem of San's jeans, tracing the skin around his slim hips, a scar from long ago just peaking out over his pants. He diverted his attention to the bulge in his lover's jeans, unbuckling and discarding his belt before leaning forward to grasp the zipper between his lips, pulling it down with just his teeth.

San let out a groan at the sight, hair falling into his eyes, darkened by lust, "Wooyoung..." he breathed, voice low.

"You sound so sexy, baby," Wooyoung praised, hands working to pull San's jeans down, the older willingly kicking them off of each leg until he was just in his underwear, standing with his back to the door.

It hadn't even been very long, and Wooyoung really hadn't done much- he hadn't even touched San down there yet, but the latter was already looking so wrecked, so debauched, and it took every ounce of willpower in him to stop himself from rushing this so he could bury himself inside San as soon as possible, cock aching for release in his own pants.

But he wanted to take this slow. He wanted to pleasure San, he wanted the older to feel good, and he wanted him to understand everything Wooyoung was trying to convey without words. He wanted San to know that he loved him, that he didn't mean any of things that he'd said before, that he was willing to love him, just as he was, without having to erase his memory at all. Without having to forget anything that had happened.

Because indeed, San was right.

Trying to avoid this by blocking out the truth, by lying to themselves in order to force themselves into a fake happiness wasn't the way to deal with it. No, they had to deal with it by looking it in the eye, and continuing the relationship that they had, the one with all the betrayal and crying and fighting. That was their weight, their burden that they had to shoulder through it all, and couldn't just leap over.

So instead of saying any of this, because he knew his words probably wouldn't be able to do justice to the emotions swimming around in him, he was showing San everything, the only way he knew he could.

Hence, he put everything he had into the dark bruises he left on San's hip, in the way he mouthed over the fabric of San's underwear, and in his firm hands holding his lover against the wood of the door. He wanted San to feel everything he was feeling, and he wanted them to _connect_ ; he didn't think he would be able to manage that by just talking to him, so this was the only thing he could think of.

He only hoped San understood his heart, which he was laying bare on the floor in front of him, waiting for him to treasure it or crush it as per his own whims.

San let out a gasp when his mouth grazed over the head of his cock through his underwear, looking down at him, and when Wooyoung looked up and met San's eyes, he gasped softly at the sight of the small smile there. San was smiling at him fondly, _lovingly_ , and Wooyoung couldn't help but return it.

Yeah, they would be okay.

Wooyoung hooked his fingers into the edges of San's underwear and tugged, pulling them down to his thighs. Saliva immediately occupied his mouth, and he kept a teasing smirk on his face as he leaned over to let a thread of his spit fall from his lips and onto San's exposed, hard length.

The older moaned loudly, something that sounded like Wooyoung's name spilling from his lips, and the younger shivered at how amazing his boyfriend sounded, finally allowing himself to raise a hand and wrap his fingers firmly around San, using his own spit as lube to ease the slide.

" _Fuck_ -" San hissed, his hand moving to grasp the strands of Wooyoung's long hair and pull, his breath hitching.

Wooyoung smiled, and licked his lips, pumping his fist a few times to get San completely hard in his hand, before allowing himself to finally scoot forward and kiss the tip of his length, leaving little kitten licks and lapping at the head for a few moments.

"Fuck, Young-ah," San breathed, "Stop teasing."

Wooyoung didn't feel like it was the time to explore his bratty tendencies, and just gave San what he wanted, holding the base with one hand while he wrapped his lips around him firmly.

"Ah!" San fisted his hair, tightening his grip almost painfully.

Wooyoung gave a satisfied hum, and sank down further, breathing slowly through his nose as he pleasured San, bobbing his head slightly back and forth. He used his hand to help him along with the part his mouth couldn't reach, and began pumping his fist in time with his mouth.

San responded in kind, curses and harsh breaths falling from his parted lips, one hand still on Wooyoung's head, the other pressed against the door behind him, "Wooyoung- _aah_ \- Young-ah, I'm going to come."

Wooyoung didn't let up, only further hastening his pace as he challenged himself to take San further, pushing himself until his hand fell and San's cock was snug against the back of his throat. The older let out a loud groan and tried to force Wooyoung off, the younger only making a sound of protest and sucking harder.

"Baby, I want to come with you in me," San gasped, and Wooyoung pulled off with a 'pop', looking up.

"You can come twice for me, can't you?" Wooyoung challenged, defiantly. His voice was hoarse and raspy from deep-throating San, but the promise of what was to come made it easy to ignore.

San let out a shaky breath, " _Oh_ \- oh, okay..." He breathed, clearly turned on by Wooyoung's choice of words, making him feel small and taken care of.

The younger smirked when San agreed to his proposition, and took him in mouth again, sucking in earnest and not holding back at all this time, fully intent on bringing San to the best orgasm of his life. He swirled his tongue round the length of San's cock, and the older groaned, trying hard to keep himself from bucking his hips up into the inviting heat of Wooyoung's mouth.

It took a few more bobs of his head, and a harsh, well-timed suck before San was crying out his name, coming down his throat without warning. The younger simply took it, slurping up the bitter, white substance like it was the best thing he'd ever tasted, putting on a show for the man who was watching him.

"Oh fuck!" San forced himself to keep his hips still through his orgasm, eyes falling shut in his blissful haze as Wooyoung swallowed his come eagerly.

When he was done, Wooyoung pulled back, saliva and come-slicked lips swollen and red, a line of spit still joining Wooyoung's mouth to San's spent length. He licked his lips to cut off the thread of saliva, and placed one last kiss to the sensitive head before rising, standing up in front of San. His hand moved to pull San's underwear all the way off, from where they'd been caught on his thighs.

The older looked breathless as he impatiently tugged at his t shirt, and Wooyoung readily pulled it over his head, and then got rid of his pants and underwear in the meantime, as well. He hissed when his cock met the cold air, but San didn't let him stay cold for long, already moving one of his hands to wrap his fingers around Wooyoung. The younger gasped, and let his head fall forward into San's shoulder, lapping up the sweat there like it was a delicacy.

"San," he murmured softly, "Sannie..."

"Mm, yeah?" San responded, pumping Wooyoung's dick slowly, unhurriedly.

"Not- not here. Don't wanna get- _oh_ \- get come on the floor..." Wooyoung managed in between harsh breaths and moans, bucking his hips up into San's fist.

"Bedroom?"

"Yeah..." Wooyoung allowed San to let go of his cock and pull him further into the apartment by his wrist, until San was kicking open the door to the bedroom and dragging Wooyoung inside, his hands pulling him in by the neck for another messy kiss.

They stayed there for a while, just kissing each other deeply, the air thick with tension and arousal, until San got frustrated by his once again hardening dick, and began walking the two of them backwards without breaking the kiss.

The bend of San's knees touched the bed, and one firm push on his chest made him fall back gracelessly onto the bed with a gasp, the taste of Wooyoung's lips and his own release still lingering in his mouth. He didn't even have to reach out for Wooyoung before the younger was already climbing over him, hand trailing up his side seductively as he finally settled on top of San, looking down at him with a heavy gaze.

He searched San's eyes for any hint of hesitation or the anger from before, and- much to his relief- when he found none, leaned down to kiss down his cheek and to his jaw, lips trailing over the small, dark mole on his neck.

San's breath hitched, and he moved one hand down Wooyoung's back to his ass, cupping firmly and making the younger boy keen into his neck. San's hand slowly moved to Wooyoung's front to grasp his dick and run a teasing thumb over the head.

Wooyoung moved his head from San's neck to look down at him, and he gently peeled San's hand off of him by the wrist, whispering, "I wanna be inside you so bad."

San let out a groan at the words, nodding as he pulled Wooyoung down for another, passionate, kiss. The younger broke the kiss quickly and reached over to the drawer on the side, pulling at the handle and feeling around for the lube. He finally discovered a bottle he'd stashed in there, alomst half empty already, and hoped that it would be enough as he drizzled the substance over his fingers, warming it up a bit before bringing his hand down between San's legs.

The younger's free hand guided San's legs apart, and he obliged wordlessly, as eager as Wooyoung to finally reach the high he sought, for the second time. His lips parted on a gasp when Wooyoung pushed the first finger inside, prodding gently at first before going faster. San let out weak moans and soft pants as Wooyoung worked him open, and he opened his eyes to look up at his boyfriend, "More," he pleaded, and Wooyoung smirked, nodding as he pushed two fingers in at once, immediately shoving them deep in San. The older choked on a pathetic sound, hands fisting in the sheets.

"Feels good?" Wooyoung asked, despite already knowing the answer to that question, and San managed a soft hum, unconsciously grinding down against his fingers in him. Wooyoung felt his heart swell at the unintentional display of vulnerability, and his cock throbbed for release. Impatiently, he increased the pace of his fingers until San was crying out for another, to be filled up more, more _more_.

Of course, he gave San what he wanted, pushing another finger beside the other two, reaching deeper spots than before, making San tighten his grip on the poor sheets and his mouth fall open, a little drool spilling out of the corner of his lips.

Wooyoung leaned forward, capturing San's lips in a wet kiss as his fingers pushed deeper into him, grazing that spot inside of San that made him whine submissively into Wooyoung's mouth, "Woo- _mm_ \- 'm ready," he mumbled right agaisnt Wooyoung's plump lips, "Wan' you inside- ah!" His toes curled in pleasure when Wooyoung pushed all three of his fingers directly into San's prostate, stimulating it more than he needed to, just to tease him.

But Wooyoung was getting impatient as well. After all, it wasn't everyday that he had a whining, whimpering San laid out under him, begging for him to fuck him.

So he gave into his urges, pulling his fingers out of San and rolling a condom onto his own dick; squeezing a little more lube onto his fingers to slick himself up as well, the head of his cock an angry red and weeping precome already, even from barely any contact. It was the effect that San had on him.

Wooyoung grabbed both of San's thick thighs with his hands, giving himself a moment to admire the sight of the man lying pliant and bare under him, with absolutely zero filters or masks on him. This was Choi San, in all his glory.

The thought gave him an increased heartbeat, and he shifted forward to line himself up with San's hole, not even asking the older if he was ready before he was already pushing the head in, enveloped by San's tight inner walls.

" _Holy fuck!_ Wooyoung-" San cried, his hand flying to Wooyoung's own on his thigh, pulling it away to lace their fingers together on the sheets beside him.

The intimate gesture made the younger smile, and he squeezed San's hand firmly, before pushing all the way in, gritting his teeth from the effort of going slow so he wouldn't hurt San, "You're doing so well, baby. You feeling okay?"

San moaned in response, clenching around Wooyoung and drawing out a pleasured sound from him as well, "Hmm....feel so _good_ in me, Woo- ah..." San babbled, unable to keep his mouth shut. Not that Wooyoung was complaining, when it was such a turn on to see San like that.

The younger held San's thigh with a bruising grip as he rolled his hips forward experimentally, grinding deep inside San. The older seemed to love it, keening and mewling Wooyoung's name along with a mess of other, indiscernible words, just on the edge of losing it.

San let out a particularly delectable whimper when he slammed his hips down, going harder than before, and he couldn't resist the urge anymore, adjusting his position a little, before he was increasing the pace, pulling out and pushing in _hard_ , loving the way it reduced San to mere sobs of his name and incoherent mumbles.

"Wooyoung- _Young-ah_...kiss me," San pleaded, "Aaah....baby."

And who was Wooyoung to refuse him?

So he slowly guided both of San's legs up by the thighs and pulled them to wrap around his waist, automatically being dragged in closer to him, reaching deeper spots inside him.

San's moans reached a new high at the change in angle, his hands flying to wrap around Wooyoung's neck and pull him down to crash their lips together firmly, letting his sounds of pleasure dissolve into the cavern of Wooyoung's mouth. He let out a particularly loud whine when Wooyoung's cock pressed into his prostate, and bucked his hips up, silently begging for more.

The younger brought one hand down to flick San's nipple and trail further down, holding him firmly by the waist as his hips pistoned forward and back.

"Harder, _please,_ " San begged against his lips, and the younger groaned at the sound of his wrecked voice, hastily moving to follow the request and putting more effort into slamming down into San, harder than before. The older keened, arching up into him and clenching around him, pulling a loud moan from his own lips.

Wooyoung broke the filthy kiss, spit glistening on both their mouths, before mouthing slightly at San's cheek, panting against the skin as he kept his hips moving, giving San exactly what he wanted. He thrust his hips into San, hard, and they both felt and heard the sudden rip, condom unable to bear the force with which Wooyoung was fucking into San.

The younger groaned in harsh protest and moved to slow down and pull out, only for San's legs to tighten around his waist and trap him. "Sannie," he panted, "I gotta get a new condom."

The older opened his eyes to look at Wooyoung, tears shining at the corners and a few already shining on his cheeks. He shook his head firmly, keeping Wooyoung sheathed inside him with his legs, not allowing him to budge, "Just....fuck me like this, I don't care..." San breathed out, "I'm clean."

Wooyoung's breath hitched, "Yeah... Okay, yeah, me too," he answered, his mind lost in a haze of arousal and lust and San, San, San.

He pulled out a little more than halfway, bringing his hand down to drag the ruined condom away from his cock and throw it somewhere on the floor, deciding to deal with it later. It wasn't like it was full of cum or anything, anyway. The carpet would still be clean.

Then he pushed inside San again, nothing separating them this time, and that alone was enough for him to set a harsh, bruising pace at once, fucking into San with no inhibitions.

San moaned and whimpered and whined, loving the way Wooyoung was breaking him apart on the inside so wonderfully, and found his voice when the younger pushed the head of his member directly into his prostate, "Ah! Woo...'m gonna cum!"

"Yeah?" Wooyoung panted, kissing San once more before pulling away, "Me too, San-ah."

He moved his hand to San's leaking cock, hard and neglected on his stomach, and wrapped his fingers around it, holding him firmly at the base, without moving his fingers the way San wanted him to. He figured that a little denial would make San feel even better when he finally did come, and it had always been something he'd wanted to try with a sexual partner.

"What..." San sobbed, trying to buck his hips up into Wooyoung's fist, but to no avail, " _Wooyoung!_ " He protested, head falling back in his haze of desperation, "No, let me come! _Please_."

Wooyoung only maintained the unforgiving pace of his hips, fucking into San without abandon as he drank in the feeling of being on cloud nine, San's tight walls wrapped around his most intimate place, and his entire body thrumming with energy and arousal only for San, "Yeah, I will," Wooyoung breathed, "But I promise it'll feel better this way, so just hold on until I say so, yeah?"

San cried out, the head of his dick swollen and thick, leaking precome pathetically over Wooyoung's hand, his nether regions burning with overwhelming feeling, arousal and denial and pleasure all at once, sending confused signals to his brain.

He never thought he'd be into something like this, edging and orgasm denial and even raw sex, but with Wooyoung, everything felt good, too good, and he barely had enough coherency to protest, only managing a few garbled whimpers of Wooyoung's name mixed with curse words, prostate throbbing as the younger pushed against it mercilessly.

"San, you're so sexy, you know that?" Wooyoung gasped out, fucking deep into his boyfriend, "You're beautiful and gorgeous and so fucking good for me, baby. Only made for my cock, only mine, no one else can fuck you like I do, yeah?"

He knew he was saying nonsense, but that didn't stop the jolt of pleasure from shooting through his veins when San nodded desperately, whining, "Yes, yes only you, Young-ah. No one else, I'm only yours- _mm!_ "

His words were cut off when Wooyoung abruptly leaned down to kiss him, his hand finally letting go of the tight grip he had on San's cock, stroking it in time with his thrusts.

San's back arched, eyes rolling back in his head and his hole clenching impossibly around Wooyoung as he was finally allowed to fall over the edge, orgasm hitting him like a freight train. " _Wooyoung!_ " He screamed, hands grasping at his neck desperately, seeing white as he came all over his own stomach and chest, some of it even reaching his base of his neck from the angle they were in.

Wooyoung groaned at the sight and feeling combined, finally allowing himself to let go as well, shooting his come deep into San with a broken moan of his name, hips and thighs burning with effort as he rode out the last of his high.

They finally stilled, though they were still joined together, Wooyoung breathing deeply into San's neck, eyes shut with overwhelmed emotion, suddenly feeling like he was carrying the weight of the whole world on his shoulders, "San..." He breathed, "San, I'm sorry."

The older seemed confused at first, almost asking why he was getting an apology, before it all came back to him- the car, their fight, his yelling. He sighed, pulling Wooyoung into him and wrapping both arms around his back, "Thank you for understanding."

Wooyoung pressed a kiss into San's cheek, "I'm sorry," he said again, "Let's just... Be together again, like we were before, yeah?"

San nodded, "I'd like that," he then had a thought, which made him giggle.

"What?"

"I think we just had make-up sex."

Wooyoung made a sound of amusement, playfully hitting San's bare chest with his palm, "Shut up!"

San only giggled some more, unintentionally clenching around Wooyoung and causing the younger to groan in sensitivity.

"Oops, sorry," San said, not sounding the least bit sincere, but Wooyoung was willing to overlook it, simply leaning down to nudge their noses together in an eskimo kiss, smiling against his lips as he pulled out slowly, mess of come and lube and sticky fluids making for a weird feeling.

The younger slowly eased San's legs back onto the bed, and made sure he was comfortable, before leaning down for a quick peck on the lips, "You want to shower?"

San nodded, and Wooyoung smiled before climbing out of the bed and holding out a hand for San to take, pulling him in the direction of the bathroom.

Hot showers after sex were one of the best feelings in the world, Wooyoung mused, and they were even better with San, the older smiling and laughing prettily as they washed each other.

Wooyoung poked a finger into San's dimple childishly, as the older massaged shampoo into his scalp, and San giggled, leaning into the touch.

Wooyoung was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming feeling of love for the man in front of him, gorgeous dimples, feline eyes, freckled neck and all. He flattened his palm on San's cheek, ignoring the shampoo that trailed down his own cheek to lean forward and kiss San lazily, the older reciprocating without protest.

He leaned back, and San tilted his head curiously, "What was that for?" The hot water slid down his face and neck, weaving tantalizing paths down his body that Wooyoung wanted to spend his whole life tracing.

"I love you, Sannie."

San blushed crimson, sliding both hands into Wooyoung's hair to wash away the foam, "I love you too," he said sincerely, dark eyes shining with emotion.

The younger giggled and turned San around using his hands, beginning to lather soap on his back to wash him in return.

They showered quickly enough, and dressed in comfortable clothes before making their way back into the bedroom, Wooyoung quickly pulling off the dirtied sheets and changing them, and getting rid of the torn condom on the floor as well, flushing slightly when he remembered what it had resulted in.

Wooyoung sat down at his desk, "I should probably get to work..." He said, pouting a little.

To his surprise, San nodded and said, "Me too," before getting off the bed going to the box of his stuff in the corner, fishing out a thick book- one that was at least for hundred pages long, from the looks of it- from inside the bag. He waved the book at Wooyoung, "This," he said, "is what I have to finish studying by next week."

On seeing Wooyoung's wide eyes, San chuckled, "What, did you think just because I haven't gone to classes, that there wouldn't be any work for me to do? I have exams next week, you know."

"Um, yeah, but that's a _big_ book," Wooyoung said, watching in awe as San set it down on his bed and opened it to a page somewhere in the beginning, a wide bookmark placed between the faded white papers, clearly having been used a lot, "I mean, I couldn't finish that in a week."

San looked at him, "You never been to college? This stuff is normal; small, even."

Wooyoung shrugged, "Well, _no._ I just ended up working as an agent right after school."

"Oh," San didn't look too surprised, just confused. His face suddenly showed realisation, "Wait, so if I join the force, then I'll have to give up studying?"

Wooyoung frowned, eyeing the book that San was thumbing absent-mindedly, "Probably, yeah. I'm pretty sure getting a job here is a lifetime commitment. You can't exactly have anything else going on when you're trying to rid the country of crime. That in itself is taking a lot on your plate." 

San looked disappointed at the prospect of that, "Then do you think it's okay if I hold off on this for a while? I'd rather have a different job until I finish my studies, in case-"

"Wait a minute," Wooyoung interrupted, "You get bullied in college, even the principal doesn't seem to really like you all that much, and you don't exactly have friends there either. Plus, you have a full-time offer here, but you still want to finish studying?"

San shook his head, "It's not like that. I don't want to look at this like it's a chance to escape the difficulties of college. It's more like....I want a little control in my life, Wooyoung, and between temporarily living with you and working for your boss, it's not going to feel like I'm independent, and I really don't want to be feeling like your charity case," he explained, "I'd rather get a job myself to make ends meet, and finish studying what I like, when I like, than take the easy way out and drop out of college for a quicker way to earn. That's not how I do things. You know I don't like the easy way out, right? At least not with things like these, concerning my own life. I think I should be able to make my own decisions, and this is it for me."

Wooyoung exhaled heavily, "Hm," he hummed softly, San's words hanging in the air for a few seconds before the younger was nodding, "Okay."

"Okay?" San echoed, almost looking surprised at his boyfriend's easy acceptance of the choice he'd made, obviously an unexpected one.

"Yeah, I respect that, San. Your life is yours. I can't butt in and force you to do anything, even if it will be easier for you. What I _can_ do, though, is support you through thick and thin, so I'm going to do that," Wooyoung smiled, "I'll love you and support you no matter what you decide to do, or not to do. It's entirely your call."

The older returned the smile brightly, "You're the sweetest."

Wooyoung winked, "Oh, baby, you haven't seen the half of it."

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehe things are finally looking up!! I never expected this fic to go this way, honestly so I hope this wasn't too bad because it's going to end with another 2-3 chapters 🤭🤭 
> 
> Let me know what you guys thought of this chapter in the comments!! Leave kudos and subscribe! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San felt a lump in his throat, and swallowed, breathing deeply until he finally found the courage to speak.
> 
> "Appa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyy guysssss!!! 
> 
> Okay first of all... o H m Y g O d???? 11k hits???? Howwwww 😵😵😵😵😵😲 thank you guys so much!!! 
> 
> Here's chapter 24!! I'm really sad that this chapter is the last actual one😢, and the next two will be epilogue part 1 and part 2. at least that's the plan (I haven't finished writing it yet so I'm not sure lol) 
> 
> But I hope you guys like this chapter!! 😁 Comment down below and let me know what you think, because it's all that keeps me goingggg 🤭🤭😘 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Wooyoung smiled at his boyfriend, as the latter walked out of Hongjoong's office, "Hey," he greeted, meeting the older man halfway for a sweet kiss.

They pulled away, and San nodded at Wooyoung, "I told him I don't want the job."

"Good. You feeling okay?"

San smiled, "I'm satisfied."

Wooyoung chuckled, adjusting the lapels on San's jacket and patting his chest when it was even, "That's better than nothing, right?"

San grinned, showing off his dimples, and waved brightly at Wooyoung, "I have to go now, I've got my midterm in two days."

Wooyoung pouted, "Hm, okay. I'll be home in a few hours," his eyes trailed San's disappearing frame, "Wait for me!"

San turned to give him a wink over his shoulder, "Always."

Wooyoung chuckled at his boyfriend's antics, and shook his head fondly, turning towards the leader's office and knocking on the door before walking in.

Hongjoong raised his head from the papers he was looking at, face brightening when he saw Wooyoung, "I heard you guys out there," he gave a teasing smile, "What's got you two so lovey-dovey since yesterday?"

Wooyoung flushed crimson, remembering the day they'd spent in bed together, just two days before. He figured they'd been a lot more affectionate and comfortable with each other after that, the tension and friction from before having dissipated in the form of sexual release. They'd also talked, as soon as San had finished a considerable amount of his studying, and they'd agreed that what had happened definitely couldn't be ignored. Wooyoung had apologised a hundred times over, and San had kissed him until they were both in tears, hugging each other tightly in the comfort of the bed, falling asleep curled into each other. Wooyoung knew they'd be talking a lot more about Kim Ethan and the events concerning him, but it was a start. Baby steps was the only option, and they were not okay yet, but they were surely getting there, and that was as much of a consolation as he could get.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow at him, "Considering that blush on your face, I'd rather not know the answer to that," he quipped, gesturing for Wooyoung to sit, "Anyway, we have some things to discuss."

Wooyoung sat down and nodded, and Hongjoong continued, "We've received the inferences and reports from San's interrogation."

Wooyoung laced his fingers together in his lap, leaning forward expectantly, "And?"

"It's good news, _and_ bad news," Hongjoong said, "San has not been recognised as a criminal or an offender of any sort, due to his own obvious cluelessness on all the things related to this case until very recently. That's the good part."

Wooyoung exhaled in relief, "So what's the bad part?"

"He'll have to be under 24x7 surveillance, and monitored for the time being. At least for a month. That means he'll be tracked, and kept tabs on, until the end of all this. But once again, this has a silver lining as well, because this means that the bullies in his college that you were talking about before, they can't do anything to him when he has complete police protection or is under observation," he paused, before sighing and continuing, "And I know you would want me to give you this job, but I'm sorry because there would be too much of a personal bias if you're the one monitoring him. So I've asked Yeosang to do it, if that's okay with you."

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes, "Exactly what do you mean by....24x7 surveillance?"

"Well, that would mean that whoever is in charge of this job will have to stay at San's 'residence'," he made quotes in the air at that part, "and basically note his movements, investigate his close friends and family, and pretty much check everything he does to make sure he isn't pulling anything. This will go on until San is completely in the clear."

Wooyoung hummed, "But if I'm with him in the apartment at some point, and Yeosang isn't, it's okay, right?"

Hongjoong ducked and snorted out a laugh, "You are permitted to sexile Yeosang, if that's what you're asking. The monitoring, in San's case, only applies to when he leaves the apartment. He will have a tracking bracelet on him like the rest of us. It's strict, but not so much so that he's watched _all_ the time, it's just called a 24x7 surveillance because you three are staying together."

Wooyoung nodded in understanding, "Well, that doesn't sound _that_ bad, I think it's managable. Is there anything else, hyung?"

Hongjoong retrieved a paper from where it was placed under a weight made of glass, and handed it to Wooyoung, "There's...this. It might be concerning, but I'm afraid it will be necessary."

Wooyoung read over the first few lines, and inhaled deeply, "You want to talk to San's family. Including his....dad. I don't know how he's going to take that, hyung."

The leader knitted his eyebrows, "That is true, we do not know how San will take this, but we have no other option. Although, we _are_ willing to offer San a chance to talk to his father first, before we do. Of course, if he takes us up on that, it will be supervised, but it accounts for something at least, right?"

"I hope so," Wooyoung answered, handing the paper back over to his leader.

Hongjoong took it, and placed it under the weight again, "I want you to inform San about this. And let him know he has a choice, that he can choose not to speak to his father if he doesn't want to. In that case, of course, he will be directly sent to the higher ups for questioning."

Wooyoung nodded, "Is that all, hyung?"

"For now, yes. I want your final reports by the end of next week, so start working on it now, alright? After all, you _did_ start out as team leader for this one."

Wooyoung's chair emitted a sickening screech as he pushed it back to get up, "I can do that," he confirmed, before lowering his head in a subtle gesture of respect. He then turned away and twisted the knob of the door, opening it and leaving the room.

*****

"You sure about this, San-hyung?" Jongho asked.

"Yeah, you know you can back out if you want to," Wooyoung added.

San shook his head at the two agents standing in front of him, "No, I want to do this. I have to know from him. I have to know why he did what he did," he said defiantly, taking a deep breath before the door was finally being clicked open and he was being guided into a room.

He shut his eyes as he was herded in, and slowly opened them when he heard the sound of the door closing behind him, Jongho standing behind him inside the room to supervise. San felt a lump in his throat, and swallowed, breathing deeply until he finally found the courage to speak.

"Appa."

"San," the familiar voice greeted him, but the man he saw seated on the uncomfortable wooden chair of HQ was unfamiliar to him.

Prison had made him haggard and rough, his appearance dirty and vile, dark facial hair grown out thickly and worn prison uniform loose on his sickly frame. His eyes were blank, almost devoid of all feeling, and that scared San, for he saw the man in front of him, and he saw the grizzly shadow as well, the one that would follow him and trail him everywhere he went. The shadow was of the man that San remembered, the one who took him to eat ice cream and taught him how to multiply numbers when he was struggling. The man who could wear a natural, honest smile, one that San had trusted.

Now...that man was long gone, a mere ghost of his remaining, only as a feeble memory.

San pointedly averted his eyes from those of his father, and sat down on the opposite side of the table, facing him, "I didn't want to come here today."

His father sighed, "I know. But you still did, and I'm sure there's a reason." His hands were cuffed, and placed on the table. 

San's throat felt dry. He licked his lips, and wrung his fingers in his own lap out of nervousness, "I know about Skull."

Yeongseun's eyes widened, the first non-blank expression San had seen on his face in a long while, "How?"

"Kim Ethan went after me. He-"

"How much do you know?" His father interrupted.

San grit his teeth in barely suppressed anger, "You have no right to question me. I came here for my own peace of mind, not yours. I can walk out of here if I wish to, and you can't," he knew that it was perhaps a low blow, but he deserved nothing better than that- harsh words and biting remarks from his own son, "Now are you going to listen to what I have to say, or are you going to try and defend yourself like I know you were going to?"

Yeongseun shrank, defeated, "Go ahead."

San hummed, "Why did you do that?" He asked, finally getting to the crux of why he was there in the first place.

"What?"

"Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I know _everything_ , appa. I know that you tried to protect noona for something that she did wrong in the first place, I know you began working with Ethan for his secrecy at first, but then you ended up being one of the masterminds of Skull. Why did you do that?"

"Everything I did, San-ah, I did to protect you and your sister."

San felt the beginning of tears form in his eyes, but he blinked harshly, refusing to cry. He wouldn't cry, not then, not in front of this wretched man, "That's bullshit," he spat, "You wanted to protect us, but you let some man who wants to sabotage the safety of the whole _country_ , literally take control of our lives. In what way is that justified?"

"But it's kept you safe, hasn't it? Allowing Ethan to hypnotise you and your sister allowed you to stay safe, and away from the possibility of insolvency because of me getting arrested. It's all I could do San, I threatened him when he told the police about me. I told him that if he did one thing to hurt either of you, one wrong move, it would mean the end. I would tell the police everything we had ever done, and the whole organization would've burned down to bits."

San scoffed, "So you'd rather sellout your children to be taken care of by a criminal, than own up to your own crimes?"

"No, no! It wasn't like that," he was beginning to get agitated, "It was only to make sure you'd be safe. If you're asking whether I regret it, I don't. I never will."

"You're an asshole," San didn't try to hide his spite, "You only think about yourself, and that _friend_ of yours, who tried to kill my boyfriend! Do you know, appa, how hard it is, to know that someone can so easily harm the one person who's ever accepted you for who you are, and they hold it as bargain for your submission to them? That's what it was like for me! Ethan manipulated, lied and tricked me, and the rest of our family into thinking that we were safe. And you know who allowed him to do that to us? It was you!"

Yeongseun's eyes flashed dangerously, and his wrists strained against the cuffs they were in. He leaned forward, "Listen here, brat," he said, "Your sister was at fault for associating with the likes of Kim Ethan. I did what I could to protect her. I risked everything for it, and when you went snooping around, you completely deserved that beating you got from Ethan. If you hadn't gotten yourself involved, he would never have had to hypnotise you. The plan would've worked, and we would've been living in a mansion somewhere in Australia by now."

San instinctively leaned back, shocked by his father's words. He sniffed, and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand before standing up abruptly, "I never should have come here," he said slowly, realising how wrong he had been in thinking that he might have been able to worm an apology out of his father, "You deserved everything you got, and worse. You're no father of mine," he inhaled shakily, and stepped back, "I hope you rot in hell, Choi Yeongseun," he spat, before turning around to face Jongho, who's impassive face had morphed into an expression of shock, "Let's go, agent 2817. This was a bad idea."

Jongho wordlessly opened the door for him, and he was guided out, the last thing he heard being his father's yell of, "You owe me, San!" Before the door shut and drowned out his voice, San rolling his eyes as he followed Jongho to where Wooyoung was waiting for him, hands clasped tightly together.

"San-ah!" Wooyoung exclaimed when his boyfriend emerged, "Hey, how'd it go?"

San raised his head to look at Wooyoung, his previously icy demeanour thawing at the sight of Wooyoung's warm, expectant eyes. He felt something crack in his chest, and instinctively surged forward, launching himself into Wooyoung's arms and falling into his chest, "Wooyoungie," he sobbed, fisting the other's shirt as the tears finally came out, drenching the material and his own cheeks.

The younger's eyes softened with sympathy, and his arms raised to wrap around San's slim waist, pulling him closer, "I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm guessing it didn't go well, then."

San nodded into Wooyoung's neck, wetting the skin with his seemingly endless tears, "That was horrible. I hope I never have to see that man again."

"I know, I know," Wooyoung reassured, rocking San back and forth in his arms as he cried helplessly. He dreaded the fact that he had to tell San that definitely _would_ be seeing his father again, for concluding the mission. He didn't mention it right then, so that he wouldn't agitate the already trembling boy further.

"I shouldn't ha- have crammed all night yesterday to make time for th-this!" San whimpered, hitting Wooyoung's chest with a balled up fist, looking smaller than ever.

"Shh, Sannie. Can I just take you home now, baby?" Wooyoung asked, kissing the top of his head when he nodded in response, "Okay, okay, I'll do that. You'll be okay by yourself, right? I have work to do, so I'll have to come back here."

"Ye- yeah..." San stuttered, "I have to study for my exam tomorrow."

"Okay," Wooyoung said softly, before petting San's hair with one hand and pulling away, allowing the older to tuck his face into his neck as they walked through the hallway to the elevator. He linked their arms together, and nodded over at Jongho, who immediately got the message- ' _please tell Hongjoong_ '- and he scurried off to do so.

Wooyoung took San to his car and drove them to the apartment, making sure San was comfortable and had stopped crying before he left, returning to HQ to finish his work for the day.

It was with a heavy heart that he had to work that day, his mind constantly reverting back to the events of that morning, hoping that San had delved into his studies enough to distract himself from the pain.

Despite himself, he was satisfied when he finished more than he'd planned to that day, reports slowly coming together and all the data from his laptop downloaded into a disc. He took the mentioned disc and other papers that he needed to give to Hongjoong, and turned them in, later visiting Seonghwa at the infirmary for a quick chat before finally leaving the building at about seven in the evening.

San was studying when he entered the room, seated on Wooyoung's bed and leaning over Yeosang's spare laptop and a bunch of papers, pen held between his fingers and the corner of his mouth. He looked up when he sensed Wooyoung's presence, gaze softening as he leaned over for a kiss, pen falling onto the bed.

Wooyoung indulged him, letting his lips move against San's gently, long enough to cause his heart rate to hasten, before he was pulling back and smiling at him, "Hey. Are you feeling better?"

"Mhm. Much better," San responded, already turning away to look at his books again.

Wooyoung pouted, playing up the role, "I just got back, and you don't even care?"

San chuckled, shoulders shaking with his mirth, "Shut up, I have to study. Stop distracting me, I still have three whole sections left."

Wooyoung giggled, ruffling San's hair with his palm before choosing to just leave him to it, walking into the bathroom to shower and change into a comfy old t shirt and sweatpants, drying his longish hair with a towel as he walked out into the bedroom again. He raised his eyebrows when he saw that Yeosang had come back too, and was sitting on his own bed with his phone in his hands, texting someone.

"Oh hey, Yeosang-ah," he greeted, and the older nodded at him, humming in acknowledgement before going back to texting.

Wooyoung figured he wasn't exactly wanted in there at the moment, both his partner and boyfriend having things of their own to do, and so he wandered out into the kitchen after throwing his used clothes in the laundry tub, and opened the fridge to get the kimchi out, and heated up some instant rice in the microwave for a quick meal.

He gave the other two the food as well, and once they were settled in again with their work, Wooyoung grabbed his own phone, resorting to scrolling through social media in silence.

He sat himself down on the bed beside Yeosang, preferring not to disturb San who was on his bed, and drifted off to sleep with his earphones in his ears, listening to drama OSTs and BtoB.

*****

Wooyoung had not told San about the fact that he had to be continuously monitored, yet.

He knew he had to at some point, and of course sooner was better than later, but he wasn't sure how San was going to take it, especially after having been tracked and monitored without his own knowledge for so long, for _years_.

The mentioned boy had his last paper that afternoon, and he'd already gone to college early for it, and Wooyoung had gone to work, anxiously biding his time with all the work he could possibly do in an attempt to divert himself from thinking about the eventual confrontation he had to have with San.

Apart from that, there was another thing Wooyoung was nervous about. Perhaps it wasn't the most important or life-changing, but it was still a big deal for him.

Wooyoung had asked San about going out together that night, and the older had agreed enthusiastically, immediately coming up with the idea to let loose a little and go out for a drink.

It had been a while since Wooyoung had gone to a club or bar, and the last time he'd had a drink with his friends or colleagues was probably over three months ago, having been completely occupied with his work, giving him next to no time to go out and enjoy himself just because.

San had said it would be like his celebration marking the end of his exams, and it would also be Wooyoung's chance to finally have some fun with him.

They had decided to call it their first official date, since the one before had been very rudely interrupted by information about the fact that San was being constantly tracked with a chip implanted in his neck.

San had already picked out a place for them to go, saying that they could dance and have a good time there, and Wooyoung had agreed readily, not finding any reasons to decline.

He'd also picked out his outift the previous night, while San had been poring over statistics. It was as comfortable as he could get, in case San decided that he wanted to dance, but also sexy enough to pass off as club attire. More than anything, he hoped that San would like it.

He wanted their date to go well, because, in way, Wooyoung had set a mental standard for himself, and this date would either raise the bar or lower it, depending on how it went. Because, the previous time, he'd been distracted by his mission and had other motives for being in the ice cream shop. Now, the only motive he had was getting to know more about San, having fun with him and forgetting all his worries for the night.

He quickly finished up his work for the day, completing everything he had to do an hour before he usually left, giving him enough and more time to get ready for his date. He signed off for the night, checking his laptop and other devices before waving to Yeosang who was still hard at work, giving the older man a quick pat on the shoulder before leaving their shared office.

He made it downstairs and out, driving himself home while absently humming along to one of Exo's songs that played on the radio. When he did get back, he entered the password and went in, only to see the pair of shoes near the front doorstep, meaning that San was home.

"San!" He called, but received no response, and frowned as he walked into the bedroom, expecting to see San there.

Then, he heard the sound of the shower running, and smiled, before discarding his jacket, badge and other things that he didn't need, sitting on the bed in a heap in just a plain t shirt, pants and his socks,waiting for San to come out so he could shower as well.

Sure enough, the older man emerged, wearing just a pair of underwear that he'd probably slipped on inside, and a towel was around his neck, damp hair sticking to his forehead. He saw Wooyoung and grinned, "Hey."

"That expression tells me your exam went well."

San shrugged, "It wasn't the hardest one. I did have a little trouble, but I don't think it'll cost me too many marks. All in all, it was decent, I guess."

"Cool," Wooyoung responded, already standing up and pulling his shirt over his head. He put on a little show, knowing that San's eyes were on him, and winked at the said boy when his shirt was fully off, now standing in front of him shirtless.

San leaned forward expectantly for a kiss, but Wooyoung playfully dodged him with a grin, side-stepping him and walking ahead to the bathroom, leaving San standing behind him, irked that his advance had been evaded. Wooyoung simply smirked and walked into the bathroom, grabbing his clothes from the closet along the way.

He didn't take too long in the shower, and emerged already dressed in the clothes he was going to be wearing for the night. He was more than proud of the fact that San's eyes followed him as he came out, looking him up and down appreciatively.

He was adorning a maroon sleevless turtleneck, which was tucked into his favourite pair of navy high-waisted jeans, with a few rips along the legs. He was especially fond of the simple silver chain with a music note pendant hanging around his neck and upto his chest. It tied the look together, along with the small silver rings in his ears. He'd even dusted his eyelids with a smoky gray and his lips with a soft strawberry lip balm.

All in all, Wooyoung knew he looked hot.

And wow, it wasn't like San had dressed down either. The tight black t shirt hugged his torso in a way that made Wooyoung feel all fluttery on the inside, and his full-length khaki pants went well with the rest of the simple outfit. San wasn't wearing any makeup, but looked gorgeous all the same, the moles on his cheek visible clearly and making Wooyoung want to kiss him there.

"You- you ready?" San asked, obviously flustered by the different tone of Wooyoung's aura the moment he wore such clothes.

The younger smiled and nodded, "Yeah, let's go," he offered his arm to San like princes did in fairytales, and the older giggled, taking his arm between both of his hands and holding onto Wooyoung as the younger grabbed his wallet and slipped it into his pocket, walking to the door.

They took a cab to the club because neither of them were planning to come back sober, and Wooyoung was, at once, dragged towards the bar, San already sitting down and ordering drinks for both of them.

As they sipped their drinks, they maintained a simple, light conversation, not steering towards more serious topics the whole time. San told Wooyoung about the crazy things that happened in his college, about his childhood, how he spent his school life, and Wooyoung reciprocated in kind, offering up his own set of crazy stories about his life upon a platter. After all, there were quite a number to choose from.

They even bonded over their undying love for BTS, although Wooyoung strongly argued that he was a better fan than San. 

Soon enough, both of them were mildly tipsy, and buzzed enough for them to feel pleasant and floaty, before San was pulling Wooyoung up and out of his chair.

The younger yelped, and San only dragged him harder, yelling over the loud music, "Come dance with me!" And who was Wooyoung to say no to that? So he simply laughed merrily and allowed San to pull him away towards the dancefloor.

Wooyoung winked at San and placed a fleeting kiss on his cheek as he swayed his hips leisurely in time with the music, San closing his eyes with a content smile. His eyes opened when he felt hands on his shoulders, and he looked down to see Wooyoung standing facing him, looking up expectantly.

San happily indulged him, leaning down to press their lips together. The kiss slowly transformed into something less innocent, until San bit down on Wooyoung's bottom lip and the younger let out a soft moan into his mouth. Loving the sound, San was spurred on further, and wrapped his arms fully around the younger, pulling him in until Wooyoung was arched into his frame, their mouths meeting again and again in hot, messy kisses.

San pulled back with a gasp, licking his lips, before leaning forward again and trailing his lips across Wooyoung's cheek and down to his neck, leaving butterfly kisses just over the top of his turtleneck, "You look really good tonight," San whispered, and the younger let out a soft sound in response.

"You too," Wooyoung breathed, his hands moving up to cup San's cheeks and pull him in to kiss him again, open-mouthed and probably too dirty for somewhere so public. But he didn't care, not when everything felt so good and hazy and sensual, not when San was moaning against his lips softly and curling his arm possessively around his hips, "Do you wanna get out of here?" Wooyoung panted, pulling away to speak.

San, surprisingly, shook his head, "Come with me," he said, and wrapped his fingers around Wooyoung's wrist, pulling him away from the crowd and to the back where it was emptier. Before Wooyoung could ask what was happening, San was leading him to the door labelled 'Restroom', and his eyes widened in understanding.

San pulled Wooyoung into the empty restroom, and they made it into a stall, locking it behind them. Wooyoung giggled when San pushed him against the door, "Classy," he teased, and the older simply grabbed both his hands and pinned them to his sides.

"Shh," San hissed, already bending to kiss him, "Can you be quiet for me?"

Wooyoung nodded, aroused by the events despite himself. San smirked, and kissed him harshly on the mouth one more time before sinking to his knees, hands flying to unbuckle his belt and unzip his jeans, pulling them down to the end of the thighs.

The older man placed a kiss on the waistband of his underwear, looking up at him through his eyelashes, and used both hands to pull down the garment, maintaining eye contact with Wooyoung the whole time.

Wooyoung was half-hard already, and San spat on his own hand before wrapping it around the younger's length, eliciting a soft gasp from him. San brought his free hand to Wooyoung's hip and held him in place while stroking him slowly.

Wooyoung brought one hand to the top of San's head, and his fingers slid between the black strands smoothly. San twisted his wrist and tightened his grip on him just the slightest, and Wooyoung was throwing his head back and trying as hard as he could not to make a sound, because he had to remain quiet. Because San had told him to, and he was going to listen. He _had_ to listen.

Then San was leaning forward and taking him in his mouth, and Wooyoung moved one hand from San's hair to his own mouth, slapping it over to muffle the pleasured sounds coming from himself. The older wrapped his lips around the girth of Wooyoung's cock and gave a gentle suck, the younger already losing himself to the pleasure, "Mmf- _fuck_ -" He moaned into his palm, trying not to buck his hips up into the inviting heat of San's mouth.

San pulled off with a pop, and continued stroking him for a few seconds before kissing the tip and sinking down again, until he was about halfway. He took a deep breath through his nose and began bobbing his head, going further and further down each time like he was challenging himself, until he was at the base of Wooyoung's cock, the head hitting his back of his throat and his nose brushing little dark curls. San fought the uge to gag as he hummed around Wooyoung, the vibrations sending the younger's mind reeling.

Wooyoung instinctively bit into his own palm, and a strangled sound left his lips as San deep-throated him, obviously fighting the urge to gag and choke. "San," he gasped, moving his hand for just the slightest moment, "Feels so good."

San simply hummed around him again, and sank down to the base another time, Wooyoung's dick nudging against the back of his throat and the head leaking precome into his mouth. He had to pull back for air, eventually, but didn't let up, breathing heavily before taking Wooyoung in his mouth again and sucking and licking and kissing, until it was all the other could do not to come right away, "'M gonna come," he breathed, muffled grunts escaping his throat with each suck, "Where do you want me to-"

San pulled off, panting heavily and clearing his throat before speaking, "In my mouth," he rasped, and Wooyoung was struck by how husky and hoarse his voice sounded, "Come in my mouth," he repeated, and Wooyoung, at once, placed a hand on the back of his head and pulled him closer to finish him off.

San immediately got to work, lapping at the head and sucking on Wooyoung's cock, even taking him all the way down a few times, before the latter was biting his lip around a deep groan of San's name, hand tightening impossibly in his hair as he let go inside the older's mouth, ropes of white sliding down San's throat.

San took it all like a pro, swallowing around him and licking his lips to clean up what was left of it, before finally standing up on shaky legs and looking at Wooyoung with tears in his eyes and a flush on his cheeks.

"That was so hot," Wooyoung panted, just coming down from his high, and wrapped one arm around San to pull him close and nose at his neck, whispering against his skin, "What do you want me to do?"

"Just- just touch me, jerk me off, I'm already close anyway," San responded, and the younger nodded, bringing one hand down to undo San's pants as he kissed his neck softly. He pulled San's pants and underwear down together, just enough to pull out his hard member and take it in his hand, thumbing around the flushed head that was already leaking precome.

He didn't hesitate to move his hand in quick, fast strokes, San panting and whining softly into the material of his turtleneck as he came closer and closer to the edge.

Like San had said, it didn't take too long before he was gasping in Wooyoung's ear that he was going to come, and the younger immediately brought his other hand down and fisted the hem of San's t shirt, pulling upwards and holding it near his neck, so that San's come wouldn't ruin his clothes.

San bit his own lip and muffled a soft cry into Wooyoung's shirt as he came, spilling over his boyfriend's fist and even getting some on his own torso, "Wooyoung-ah," he whispered, breath wafting across the younger's neck.

The latter hummed, and kept one hand holding onto San's shirt as he brought the other one up and licked away the white substance on it, gesturing for San to hold onto the shirt as he sank to his knees and cleaned up the few spots of white on his stomach as well with his tongue. He let San drop the shirt and he stood up and kissed him quickly once on the mouth before pulling away.

Wooyoung giggled, "I've never done anything like that in a place like this."

San returned the smile, doing up Wooyoung's pants first, and then his, "Me neither," his voice sounded wrecked, and it sent a thrill through Wooyoung's veins at the thought that it was because of _him_ that San sounded like that, all hoarse and raspy and deep.

"Wanna go back out there?"

"Sure, we never _actually_ danced together anyway, might as well make the most of it."

Wooyoung chuckled, and offered San his hand.

He took it with a dimpled, heart-fluttering smile, and they left the- thankfully- still empty restroom after washing their hands, heading for the dance floor.

Wooyoung had the feeling that he would be remembering that night for a long, long time.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe so did u guys like the last part?😉 
> 
> I didn't actually expect to end up writing that, but....um....idk it just happened lol. I hope it wasn't bad 🤭 
> 
> Guyssss!! Leave Kudos and comments and let me know what you thought of this chapter 😁 you guys' comments are the best, and it's really what keeps me going istg. So I can't wait to see how this chapter was received by you!! It's the last one before epilogue pt I and pt II 😢😢
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	25. Epilogue- I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of course, writing 'The End,' on the pages of a seemingly never-ending book was impossible.
> 
> But San never wanted this to end, did he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!  
> Oh god it's the epilogue pt I we're so close to the end I'm sad 😢😢😢  
> On that note, let me know what your favourite part of the story was!😋😝
> 
> Oh, and here's the best person ever, who helped me and put up with my endless bullshit through the course of my writing this story, so here's to you, [ll_crystal_lights_ll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ll_crystal_lights_ll/pseuds/ll_crystal_lights_ll)!!! Go check her out, guys❤️ 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

Of course, writing 'The End,' on the pages of a seemingly never-ending book was impossible.

Perhaps Wooyoung and San would never really get their happily-ever-after. Perhaps they wouldn't have the fairytale relationship that Wooyoung had dreamt of having, or the eternal happiness in their lives that San sought.

But still, they knew, they _both_ knew that all it took was for them to try, and they would make it together.

It wasn't easy, it never was. San had taught Wooyoung that. Even if a problem could be evaded, or ignored, it wasn't right to do so. If something was wrong, it had to be accounted for. It had to be looked right in the eye and fought aggressively.

Wooyoung really admired that quality in San.

He admired that even after everything, after being controlled and taken advantage of and hurt so many times in his life so far, San still held his head high and looked at the world with bright, inquisitive eyes, still wanting to know more despite having been faced with some of the most gruesome adversities.

He had had to meet his father again, and his sister and mother as well, on several occassions, for the purpose of court orders and legal proceedings and requirements. Other than those, his relationships with his family were feeble, but he was okay with that. He preferred being by himself. On another, even more terrible occassion, he'd had to speak directly to Kim Ethan.

He'd been addressed by the very mam who'd made his life a living hell, and he'd stayed stoic and calm through it all, having received high praise for his maturity by Eden himself.

But later, once they were out of there and San was alone with Wooyoung, he'd broken down his walls and given in, collapsing into himself and crying for his sister and his poor mother and for Wooyoung as well, for all the shit that Kim Ethan had put them through.

At one point, he'd begun getting hysterical, and his sobs transformed into shaky, harsh breaths and whimpers, until he'd looked up at Wooyoung with wide, terrified eyes and the younger realised that he was having a panic attack. Wooyoung's heart had ached even as he shushed San softly and calmed him down, hugging him close and whispering to him that he was safe, until the older's breath had evened out and he became putty in Wooyoung's arms.

Since that day, it had been almost three months, and at first, San's panic attacks has increased in frequency, scaring the both of them, until he'd gone to the doctor for it and gotten medication that helped, mostly anxiety meds and some stuff that helped him sleep better.

It was a slow process, but it worked.

Now, San had stopped taking his meds altogether, and he hadn't had an episode in almost a month. He was calmer, and more cheerful. He still had moments when he'd choke up or get scared when something particularly reminiscent of that time happened, but it was close to none. 

He'd even gotten Yeosang to coach him for free in self-defense during his free time, and San was proud of the fact that he'd held his own against the bullies from before, as they had no technique and simply relied on brute strength, while San had been trained by someone like Yeosang, who had enough real fighting experience to take down men twice his size in minutes.

It gave him a stronger ground to stand on, and he'd slowly walked up the stairs, up, up, up until he was sure he could finally see the top somewhere ahead.

He'd gotten a paid part-time internship position due to the high scores in his semester exams, and he'd placed among the top in his college, instantly boosting his morale. Somehow, it had also leaked out that San had a "cop-boyfriend" (he figured it might've been Jongho responsible for that, since he'd come to his college once to talk to him while dressed in cop clothes because of some stupid undercover mission) and it gave him enough cred to be feared a little, until the bullies from before dissolved into thin air.

Apart from that, he'd even made a friend in college, a boy named Seo Changbin who'd joined as an exchange student from Yeongin only in the last semester. The biggest news regarding that, was that Changbin happened to have been looking for a roommate to reduce his expenses, at his simple one-bedroom apartment a few blocks away from campus. San had been the first friend he'd made, and the former had immediately pounced onto the opportunity and offered to move in with him, for both his sake and Changbin's. He'd moved in around three weeks ago, and it had been pretty good so far, the two boys immediately striking up an easy friendship.

Changbin hadn't yet had the chance to meet Wooyoung, but he had definitely heard tons about San's mystery man from him. Of course, he didn't know what Wooyoung did for a living- but he knew everything else, including when San didn't come home for the night and when he returned the next morning in the same clothes, sporting bright bruises on his neck and a giddy smile on his face. He teased him endlessly when that happened, but in the end, he was happy for San, and always supported him even though he felt nervous about admitting that he had a boyfriend, and he'd never been judged for it.

All in all, his roommate and friend was a blessing in human form.

And regarding Kim Ethan.... there'd been a lot of developments in that area as well.

There'd been trial after trial, arrest after arrest, and meeting after meeting. Finally, everything had resulted in a satisfactory verdict. San's name had been cleared, and the tracking bracelet had been recovered from him after a month of close observation. Ethan had been given lifetime imprisonment in a separate cell only meant for him, where he would be interrogated every few days regarding his past actions, plans for the future, and movements. Several allies of Skull had been exposed, hunted down and taken into custody, and the number as of that day was probably around seven different big criminals, and one anti-national organisation, consisting of about thirty members.

It had all dumped an enormity of work onto his poor boyfriend, who had been working almost twelve hours a day for quite a while, both out in the field and inside his office, always having endless amounts of _something_ to do. He said he was fine, he said it was nothing he hadn't done before, but San could sense his fatigue everytime they spoke, more often on FaceTime or Kakao Talk than in real life, Wooyoung always coming home too late and leaving too early for San to physically see him. It was obvious that Wooyoung was constantly tired and overworked, from the dark circles under his eyes, his drooping lids when they had conversations past midnight, and his lack of attention when San had a particularly long story to narrate.

It wasn't like San didn't miss his boyfriend, but he wanted him to be able to take enough rest as well. So he'd told him not to call for a while, until San reached out to him himself, coming up with a bluff that he had too much work for his internship position to catch up on, and talking to Wooyoung would only distract him. It wasn't like that was a lie, it was more of a....stretching the truth, kind of situation.

Because of his own words, in two days, it would be two whole weeks since he'd seen Wooyoung in person, and one since they'd spoken properly, excluding simple good morning or good night texts.

He sighed, slumping down on the couch. He held his phone in one hand, contemplating whether or not to make the call, and a bar of chocolate in the other, half already disappeared into his stomach and othe half sticking to his fingertips messily. He placed his phone down hesitantly, and then picked it up again wth fresh resolve. This only repeated itself a couple of times, before he gave up with a huff and dropped his phone on the grey couch cushion, taking another bite of his chocolate.

He finished the bar, licking his lips and his fingers before balling up the wrapper and chucking it in the direction of the dustbin. He missed, and made a frustrated sound, forcing himself to get up and walk over to the dustbin, throwing the wrapper away properly.

He made it back to the couch, sinking down, and didn't allow himself to think twice before he was looking up the contact and pressing the green button to call, placing the phone against his ear, sticky remnants of his chocolate probably smudging on his screen.

The other person answered after four rings, "Hey, San-ah, what's up?"

The voice was one he hadn't been expecting, "Oh! Seonghwa-hyung," San said, "I was expecting Hongjoong-hyung to answer, but I guess I could just ask you , so..."

The older man hummed in response, and San bit his lip nervously before continuing, "Okay, I know that this is probably really stupid of me to ask, and it's totally okay if you say no, considering how important your work is, but I just wanted to know if....maybe-"

"Oi, get to the point, I don't have much time!" Seonghwa scolded, and San shut his mouth at once.

"Right, yeah okay, um...I just wanted to know if- if you could give Wooyoungie the weekend off? Because I want to spend it with him and I haven't seen him in a while. You can totally say no, I'm not, like trying to impose or anything, but-"

"One second," came the response, and San heard the muffled sound of conversation in the background, waiting patiently for about two minutes until Seonghwa's voice came back to him, "San, you there?"

"Yeah."

"Right. Um, we can't afford to give him the whole weekend off, but he can work until lunchtime on...Saturday, and stay home on Sunday. How's that sound?"

San beamed, smile lighting up his features, "That sounds great, hyung! Even one day would be great for me, cause usually he's working even on Sundays. Thank you so much."

"It's no problem, San-ah. Though it might be hard to give him this often, I think a day or two of leisure wouldn't hurt, right?"

"Definitely," San answered, still smiling. He heard the click of the door, and turned to see Changbin enter, kicking the door shut behind him while he furiously texted someone. "My roommate's home, hyung. I'll talk to you later?"

"Okay," Seonghwa sing-songed, and they said bye before hanging up, San with a satisfied smile on his face.

He had figured that he would be getting scolded for asking Wooyoung's superiors for something like that, but he hadn't taken into consideration how nice and sweet they were. Despite his request probably bring difficult for them to agree to, because of the tons of work remaining for them to deal with, they'd still allowed Wooyoung a day and a half off to spend with his boyfriend.

He really owed them for this.

San looked at his roommate as the latter plonked himself onto the couch, shoes, backpack and all. He sighed, "Hey, take your shoes off before you come in here," he rebuked.

"Mm," he received nothing but a vague hum in response, and San scowled, walking forward towards Changbin and dropping his phone by his side.

"Changbin-ah!" He whined, and the other man finally looked up at him, fingers still flying on the keyboard, "Take your shoes off," he said again, and his roommate finally listened with a disgruntled sigh, pressing the enter key to send his message before walking near the door to the rack in the corner, pulling his shoes off and placing them there.

"There, you happy?" he said, hurriedly going back to the couch and grabbing his phone. He side-eyed San, "I might have a date tomorrow if you don't screw this up for me, so leave now and let me talk to my potential date."

San chuckled, nodding, "Sure, sure. I'm ecstatic already, so screwing with your dates is probably not going to make me any happier."

"Why? Finally got that stick out of your asshole? Changbin teased, eyes glinting playfully.

San stuck his tongue out at him childishly, "No. Wooyoungie's going to be free this weekend, so I'm either going to be sexiling you, or we'll be sexiling his roommate."

"But what if I get lucky with my potential date? Or what if your boyfriend learns to control his libido and you two _don't_ fuck in our apartment?"

San deadpanned, "Okay, that second one is impossible, and...well, I think the first one is too, actually."

"Ah, so that stick is still up there," Changbin mused, fake-innocent, still texting his mystery date.

San huffed, and flipped him off as he walked into the bedroom, ignoring the loud, "I officially have a date tomorrow!" Coming from behind him as he sat down on his bed- which was actually just a mattress in the corner on the floor because he hadn't gotten to that yet- and pulled his backpack onto it with a little effort, unzipping it to get out what he wanted.

He smiled at the sight of the small blue velvet box that he took out, with a silver ribbon covering it. He ran his fingers reverently across the box, and he flipped it open, revealing the small pieces of jewellery inside it.

It was the perfect gift for a die-hard BTS fan like Wooyoung. 

Wooyoung's was a sliver chain with a pendant that spelled out the words _'I'm Fine.'_

San had an identical one for himself as well in the same box, except that his pendant was Wooyoung's turned around, to spell the words, _'Save Me'_ instead.

It was an ambigram, one that they had known only because of BTS, but it applied to them more than anything.

San had been by himself, shunned by society and forced to live a life of fear and confusion, while being controlled and manipulated by one of the deadliest criminals in Korea, despite his own cluelessness. What he had needed was saving. And Wooyoung had done exactly that. He'd swooped in when San was almost passing out from pain, lying broken and battered on harsh concrete, and he'd saved him. He'd taken him to his home, and treated his wounds, given him a place to sleep when his was destroyed, given him affection and comfort and unconditional love and pulled him up from his hell, brought him up into the light with soft kisses and warm hugs.

 _Save Me_.

_Thank you for saving me._

Wooyoung, on the other hand, had been strong, capable. He had been totally invincible by himself, and had a personality of titanium to match. He'd been proud and openly gay, happy with himself and accepted by the people he cares for. What he hadn't had then, however, was romantic love. He had parental love, love from his friends, even the special, irreplacable relationship he shared with Yeosang. But he didn't have _romance_. He didn't have kisses in the dark and cuddles under blankets to keep warm. He didn't have butterflies in his stomach at the sight of that _one_ person, and neither had he ever been touched by someone so intimately, someone with whom he shared both a physical and emotional bond. San had given him all of that, and more. Yes, Wooyoung had been fine, but with San, he was _better_. Stronger.

_I'm Fine._

_And I'm more than that when you're around._

San shut the box again, silently hoping that Wooyoung would like his gift and understand the meaning behind it, understand what he wanted to convey through it. Of course, he knew Wooyoung would probably love it anyway, being such a huge Army, but this went deeper then just that.

He stuffed the box into the side compartment of his backpack and was just about to leave for his evening class- he still had a while left, but there was nothing wrong in going early- when his phone buzzed. He picked it up, and his face broke into a wide smile at the sight of the name there, _'Wooyoungie <3'_

He hit answer, and pressed the phone to his ear, his boyfriend's pretty voice greeting him with an excited, "Hi, Sannie!"

"Hey!" he answered, retake as enthusiastic, just the sound of Wooyoung's voice making him feel a thousand times happier than he had been before.

"Guess what?" The younger screeched in his ear, "The hyungs said I could have Sunday off! And I only have to work until one on Saturday, so that means I can spend the rest of the day with you!"

San chuckled, "That's great," he replied, "Want me to plan a date for us?"

San could imagine Wooyoung's energetic nod on the other end as he spoke, his already high-pitched voice increasing in frequency with his excitement, "Could you? That'd be perfect. God, I miss you, San-ah."

San pouted, "Me too," he said, before continuing, "I'll make us reservations, and we'll go out for dinner, okay? So eat light!" He quipped playfully.

Wooyoung hummed, "Okay~ I have to go now, Yeosang is getting mad at me for being on the phone, but I'll see you then?"

"Yeah," San smiled, "I can't wait."

"Me neither, I miss your kisses- _ow!_ Okay, okay, I'm _coming_ Yeosang-ah! Don't hit me- bye, Sannie!"

The line went dead, and San chuckled happily as he shoved the phone into his pocket and stood up, checking the clock for the time before leaving the room.

He had a class to get to.

*****

"I'm so sorry, San."

"It's fine, babe. I'll just...see you tonight?"

"Yeah...I love you."

"I love you too," San sighed in disappointment as he placed the phone down.

He knew that Hongjoong and Seonghwa must have tried to let Wooyoung go home early, but it was probably something too important to put off. Wooyoung had said that something urgent had come up, something that had to be dealt with immediately. So, he wouldn't be able to spend that time with San. He'd only finish up his work- whatever it was- after seven or eight, maybe at around dinnertime, and he'd join San for dinner wherever he asked him to. He'd promised to meet him there once his assignment was completed.

San had agreed reluctantly, and it took even more hesitance for him to cancel their early dinner reservations (he'd been planning to take Wooyoung to his place after, but he didn't know what the plan would be now) and make another one elsewhere, a little later. It was probably not as good a restaurant as the first, but it was a classic date spot, and San knew it would be good. So he settled for that, and made it quick, before beelining it to his laptop to catch up on some work he had to do for a simple project, for the company he was interning at. It was only part-time, but he still took his job seriously, and was recognised for it, already having made a decent name for himself at his workplace.

He finished as much as he could before the lock in the door clicked, and Changbin stepped inside, carrying takeout for lunch. They ate together, San telling the other about his plans and Changbin shrugging it off by saying that he would be staying with another friend of his anyway, for the weekend. It gave San free reign over their apartment.

Before he knew it, time had gone by in a flash, the afternoon sunlight melting into a pleasantly chill evening, and then Changbin was leaving with a backpack over his shoulder, waving back at San.

San took some time to change clothes and text Wooyoung the location of the restaurant he'd made reservations at. He patted down his navy button up and black pants, checking his hair in the mirror before deeming it satisfactory and grabbing the most important thing, the gift he'd bought for Wooyoung, and slipping it into his pocket.

He checked the time, seeing that there was about twenty minutes left before he had to leave to reach the restaurant on time, so he simply chose to think optimistically, and found bis best 'sex playlist' on his laptop, leaving it on sleep so he could press the space bar and it would turn on when he wanted... just in case. Then, he put on some cologne for good measure, and tidied up the room as much as he could.

Jus as he was grabbing his wallet, his phone rang from across the room, the BTS song he'd set as Wooyoung's ringtone blaring out. He slipped his wallet into his back pocket and sat down on his mattress, reaching across it to get his phone and pick it up, "Hello?"

"San, where are you?" Wooyoung's voice was urgent. He sounded breathless.

San frowned, "I was just going to leave my place. Why?"

"Good, don't leave yet. Please listen to what I say, and don't ask questions now. There's no time."

And of course, that made San want to ask a million questions, but he managed to keep his mouth shut, "What is it?"

"I've sent you a location. Check your laptop, and keep telling me where it leads. Go, now!"

"Okay," San said, scrambling over to sit at his desk and hitting the space bar, entering the password to his laptop. He saw the notification, and clicked, looking at the map that appeared, red dot bright on the screen, "I see it."

"Yeah? Okay. Now I'm at the blue dot. Has that appeared yet?"

Just as he said that, a blue dot appeared on the screen, a considerable distance away from the red one, which was still moving, "Yeah."

"Which way do I go?"

San took a deep breath, and instructed him, sharp eyes following the red dot as it weaved through streets and alleys. Wooyoung pursued, and about fifteen minutes later, intercepted the other, red and blue appearing on the same street.

"You're there!" San said, "Up ahead of you, in the same street."

"Oh, yeah, I see him. Stay on the line!" Wooyoung said, and after that, San could hear heavy breathing, and Wooyoung's loud steps as he ran towards the red dot. The red and blue dots were at the same location, and then San heard him speak.

"You have nowhere to run. Your accomplice has been taken care of by my partner. Hands up!"

San's jaw dropped. He hadn't been expecting that.

Okay, maybe he had, but...it was still weird, hearing it happen over the phone.

"Do you have any weapons on your person?" A pregnant pause, "Answer me!"

There was a muffled noise in the background, before San heard Wooyoung's voice again, "Is that all?" A pause, "Good. Now turn around."

There was a chunk of metal. San figured it was the sound of handcuffs.

"You are under arrest for- _shit!_ " San's eyes widened when he heard a 'bang', the sound of a gunshot in the background. His heart rate increased, and he bit his lip nervously, too scared to ask any questions but also desperate to know what was afoot.

"Stay down. One move and I will shoot," San sighed in relief at the voice. Thank god Wooyoung was fine, "Drop your weapon! Identify yourself."

San figured there must have been an answer, because Wooyoung's next words were, "I thought so. Hands up! Listen here, come quietly, and we'll have no trouble. If you refuse to co-operate, I will have to use force."

Then San heard another gunshot.

And then he heard Wooyoung's cry of pain in his ear, and his mind saw red.

He instantly snapped his gaze to the screen. The location...wasn't far from him. If he ran, he could make it in less than five minutes. He took a deep breath, and moved quickly, holding his phone against his ear with one hand as he ran out, twisting the knob of the door and grabbing his keys from the bowl near the shoe rack and shoving them in his pocket, before slamming the door shut and beginning to sprint down the hallway, to the stairs, and down.

It a matter of seconds, he was out onto the street, and his mind traced the location constantly as he ran, Wooyoung's voice still in his ear.

"Do not move!" The young agent ordered. His voice, though, sounded breathy and a lot like he was in pain. It only served to provoke San's worry.

The older ran, and ran, as fast as he could, faster than he ever had, and he was at the end of the street in just a few minutes. He wasted no time in sprinting into the lane, going forward until he saw the three figures up ahead of him.

One was Wooyoung, of course. His gun was pointed at someone San couldn't see, but he was not facing that person. Instead, his masked face was tilted towards San's side, facing another man who's back was to San.

What caught San's attention, however, was the dark streaks of red he saw on Wooyoung's side over the light coloured shirt, visible even in the dim street lights. He swallowed a gasp and ventured forward slowly, pocketing his phone as he did, though he was still on the line with Wooyoung.

The younger hadn't noticed him yet, which was good, because that made it a lot easier for San to do what he was planning to.

He took a deep breath, and tried to remember everything he'd been taught about fighting, before surging forward, extending his arm and catching the man in front of him on the back of the neck, delivering a sharp blow that sent him reeling.

The weapon in his hand, a gun, clattered to the ground, and he clutched his neck with a pained cry as he sank to the ground.

Wooyoung's eyes widened visibly at the sight of San, shadows masking his features, "What are you doing here?" He all but yelled.

"Helping," was San's one-word response, before he was taking advantage of the fallen man's shock and landing another kick to his side, then a punch, effectively making him lose consciousness. He turned to his boyfriend, "Are you hurt?"

Wooyoung winced, the expression obvious even through his mask, "Sort of. Bullet grazed me, but I'll be okay."

San nodded, and didn't say anything more. This allowed Wooyoung to turn away from him and haul the first man closer, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his jacket, "Help me out here and cuff him, would you?" He asked San.

The older felt weird doing this, but he nodded anyway, slowly stepping forward and taking the metal out of Wooyoung's hands, pulling the man's hands together and clasping the cuffs shut. He turned to Wooyoung, and the younger's gun had already disappeared, and one hand was pressed to his side where he was bleeding. He walked forward gingerly, getting out a another pair of handcuffs and handing them over to San, "Go ahead," he said, and San was less afraid this time, when he took them and went towards the man who was collapsed on the ground, cuffing him neatly.

"San," Wooyoung called, and the older came towards him obediently, one hand holding onto the first cuffed man so he wouldn't try to escape.

"I can't move my hands from my side or I'll lose too much blood," he explained, "There's a phone in my pocket, call the number on speed dial 2. Tell him to get help over here. We can't deal with these two by ourselves."

San nodded, and slipped one hand into Wooyoung's pocket and pulled the phone out, hitting the number and pressing it to his ear.

Yunho answered, "Wooyoung-ah!"

"It's San here," he responded, "Listen, we need you to come here. There are two men in handcuffs with us, agent 2410 is injured. We need your help."

Yunho responded in the affirmative, and in no time, a van was pulling up into the street, Yunho jumping out of it. First, the two men were pushed in, and then Yunho rushed to Wooyoung's side, gently urging San away from him so he could check on the wound.

"It looks like it isn't bleeding anymore, which is good. Clotting is satisfactory. I'm going to put something on it, and it might sting, so please bear with me," Yunho proceeded to apply a cream on Wooyoung's side, after pulling his shirt up, and the younger winced, clutching San's hand painfully. San let him, knowing that he was hurting.

Yunho pulled back, "Okay, you'll be fine with a week of rest. I'll ask hyung to give you two, just to be safe. Don't strain the area, that means _don't have sex_ -" he looked pointedly at San, "-and keep putting this on it thrice a day. You can swallow painkillers if it helps, but don't take more than two in a day, yeah?" He handed a tube of cream to San, who put it into his pocket.

"Do you have somewhere to go, that's nearby?"

San nodded, "My place is just five minutes away."

"Good. Get in the van, both of you, and I'll drop you off there, and I'll drive the other two to HQ. Once you get home, you can bandage up your injury if you want, but I recommend just leaving it as it is. Airing it out will help it heal faster."

"Thank you, Yunho-yah," San said, and helped Wooyoung up gently, holding his arms and allowing him to lean into his frame.

They made it to San's apartment, and the older deposited Wooyoung on the couch before running inside and bringing him a glass of water, "Here, drink. Let me take your shirt off, and we can get you comfortable, okay?"

Wooyoung drank the water obediently, and placed the glass down, smiling at San despite surely being in pain, "Can I have a kiss first? I've missed you."

San placed a gentle hand on his cheek and pecked him on the lips quickly, leaning back even as Wooyoung whined at him, "Hey! Is that all? I haven't seen you in two weeks, and all I get is a kiss that lasts for less than a second? Hmph!"

San brought his hands to the grey shirt Wooyoung was wearing, stained with red on his right side, "I'll kiss you all you want later, but first we need to make sure you're okay."

He unbuttoned and pulled the shirt off Wooyoung's frame carefully, and put it in a tub with water and detergent to soak, before bringing him a fluffy robe, "Here, it's mine. If you don't want to sleep without a shirt, this is probably the only thing that won't be harsh on your wound."

Wooyoung eyed him, "Is your roommate going to be here tonight?"

"No, he isn't coming back until Monday."

"Then I can sleep without a shirt, it's fine. Plus, airing it out will help heal the injury faster, like Yunho said."

"Okay. Anything else you want? You haven't eaten, right?"

"Oh!" Wooyoung said suddenly, looking up guiltily at San, "I'm sorry."

"What, why?"

Wooyoung looked down, biting his lip, "I ruined our date night. I'm sure you'd planned something great. You look really handsome, so I'm guessing it was someplace nice. Sorry I spoiled everything."

"Wha- no, Young-ah, trust me, it's fine. I'm just glad I got to see you. And I'm glad you're okay. You have no idea how much you scared me when I heard you over the phone."

Wooyoung looked up with a smile, "Thank you for coming there to help. I don't know what I would've done without you."

San shook his head, "Don't thank me. It's a miracle I even managed to get my muscles to work, I was so scared."

Wooyoung's eyes softened, "Oh, baby," he cooed, "Come here."

"Aren't you hungry?"

"We can eat after some time. I want to tell you what happened today, first," he patted the seat beside him.

"Okay," San said, sinking down on the couch beside his boyfriend.

Wooyoung leaned into him, San allowing his head to rest on his shoulder, as he spoke.

He told San that there had been a sighting of one of the criminals listed in Ethan's register, very close to where Wooyoung had been. Yeonjun and Yeosang were with him as well, but they weren't on a field mission. It was just something to gather intel, but that assignment had been interrupted by this one. They'd gotten separated when Yeonjun and Yeosang had gone off tailing another accomplice of this particular criminal, and Wooyoung had gone after one. He'd forgotten that he wasn't well-prepared, since he didn't have his comms device, bulletproof vest or even his badge, the only thing being a gun that he'd slipped into his belt. He'd managed to tag the guy he was following with a tracker, but he was evaded and the guy sped off when he realised he was being followed, leaving Wooyoung behind. Then he'd called San for help, and the rest was history.

There was a pause, and Wooyoung wrapped an arm around San's own, holding him close.

He sighed, "I'm still sorry, Sannie, that I ruined our date night."

"It's alright, Young-ah, I told you. I care more for your safety than some stupid dinner date. Plus, we're together now, aren't we?"

"Still, I feel bad. If it weren't for me-"

"Stop saying that!" San whined.

"Make me," Wooyoung countered childishly.

And San grinned, using the oldest trick in the book as he turned his head and tilted Wooyoung's chin up with one finger, kissing him square on the mouth, "Did it work?" San mumbled softly against the his lips, without pulling away.

Wooyoung broke into a smile, "Mhm." He leaned back into the couch, and pulled San into him again, teasing his lips with the tip of his pink tongue before kissing him once more, sighing into it and embracing the familiar warmth curling in his gut.

He opened his eyes, pulling back to rest their foreheads together as they panted softly, breaths mixing between them.

"I really love you, San."

"I love you too."

San suddenly recalled that he'd completely forgotten about something important, and pulled away slowly, saying, "Close your eyes for a second."

"What?"

"Just do it."

Wooyoung obeyed, and San hid his secretive smile as he slipped one hand into his pocket, pulling out a velvet box. He flipped it open, and took out Wooyoung's chain, leaning forward as he secured it around the younger's neck.

"What-" Wooyoung's hand lifted to touch his own neck, resting right on top of the pendant.

"Open your eyes," San instructed, and he did, lifting the pendant up with his hands to peer at it.

His eyes widened, "This is-"

San nodded, pulling out the other, matching one from inside and showing it to Wooyoung, "And here's mine."

"Oh my god, San!" Wooyoung gasped, smile spreading across his features, "You really bought this for me? For us?"

San grinned, showing off his pretty dimples, "You like it?"

"I love it! Oh my god, I love you so much," Wooyoung cried, holding his hand out, "Let me put yours on for you."

San willingly handed it over, and leaned forward for Wooyoung to fasten it around his neck, pulling back smilingly and tilting his head to the side, "Nice?"

Wooyoung let out a tiny sound, and San's eyes widened, "Are you crying?"

Wooyoung sniffed, and turned his head away, wiping at his eyes with his wrist, "No," his voice was small, and betrayed the blatant lie.

"Aw," San cooed, "You can cry all you want, baby, as long as you're happy, I'm happy."

Wooyoung's whimpers increased in volume, "You're making me cry even more. Stop it!"

San shifted towards his boyfriend and wrapped both arms around his neck, drawing him in for a sweet kiss.

Wooyoung kissed him back.

San felt his heart clench as his whole chest was enveloped by contentment and pure _love_ , love for the man in his arms, crying because of a gift he'd bought for him and kissing him back with raw emotion, baring his whole soul to San, open and free and beautiful, beautiful, _beautiful_.

San felt tears of joy prick his eyes.

 _God, I love you, Jung Wooyoung_ , he thought.

_I love you so much._

The end?

Never.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 😭😭😭😭😭 so many freaking emotions rn!!😢😢😢 god, thank you peeps so much for all the love and omg 400 kudos and over 12k hits?!!! Holy shit I'm crying pls I don't deserve so much love🤭🤭😭
> 
> I've got something quite different planned for part II, so I hope you guys look forward to it! Let me know what you thought of this chap down below, and what was your favourite part of the whole story? 😁 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


	26. Epilogue- II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> San would never have to hide again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit idek what to say rn just.....THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH!! 
> 
> Gahhh I can't believe this is the last part of this fic, it's my longest one ever, and it's srsly crazy that I've gotten so much love from you guys kajfjekfksjgjsnejrj ❤️🤭🤭
> 
> Anywayyyy, I hope you like this last one, cuz I've tried sumn a lil different here 😉😉 Lemme know what you think of it in the comments!! 
> 
> And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR WOOYOUNG!!!☺️💞
> 
> Edit on Dec 15th, 2020: Omg thank you all so much for getting this fic so many hits, kudos and comments. I honestly can't believe it 🤭🤭 This fic has come to the first page of the woosan tag sorted by hits, alongside Baby Don't Like It, another fic of mine, and I srsly- can't believe it skgkskkgkskf thank you guys so much!!?? ❤️❤️
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️

San bit his lip nervously as he looked around the cafe, hoping to god that he would be left alone that day. That those damned bullies wouldn't try and corner him again.

He'd had more than enough of their spite and their taunts and their punches, and couldn't take it anymore. It had become altogether tiring, painful, and a constant itch in his brain that he couldn't scratch. Paranoia often set in, and he found himself more interested in who was around him and if they could be trusted, rather than himself.

He distracted himself, a difficult task, by scrolling through instagram on his phone, humming along to a non-existent tune.

He got bored of looking at the same old thing again and again, and sighed, looking from his phone. He whipped his head around, studying the people in the cafe. It seemed like the usual college crowd. Many people he recognised, few he didn't. And out of those few, he didn't particularly want to approach any of them.

Then he turned his head, and a boy caught his attention. He was...well, actually very good-looking, though San couldn't see his face too well. He was _definitely_ a new face to him, not one San had ever seen before. The boy was looking down at his phone and texting someone, engrossed in whatever he was doing. His head of black hair, bent in concentration, and a rather muscular arm planted on the table in front of himself.

He raised his head fleetingly, and then looked down again at his phone. It had been but a short glance, but it was enough for Sans eyes to widen in interest. He was intrigued. The boy was really quite attractive, and he found himself staring his way, unable to turn his head away as he waited for him to raise his head again, perhaps catch his eye.

San was alone anyway. It wouldn't hurt to indulge himself and stare at the cute boy like a creep, right? Plus, the boy being someone new made it even better for San. Because maybe then he could make a friend. A real, proper friend, who wouldn't immediately judge him based on rumors and made-up stories that he'd heard from a friend of a friend of a friend.

He looked on for a while, as the pretty boy ordered once, twice, and then again, all the while looking around the room with sharp, dark eyes. San switched his seat to get closer to the mystery boy, and swallowed thickly when he finally caught sight of his face properly.

Holy shit, he really was sexy. He had a sort of...aura to him, that screamed that he wasn't to be taken lightly, and yet he wasn't big-built, narrower shoulders than San and a pretty face with bright eyes. He was exactly San's type.

Okay, he knew he had to take the chance now. It was do or die. He mustered up all the courage he had in him, and stood up, walking towards the boy who'd looked down at his phone once again.

He inhaled deeply, "Hi." He hoped that his voice didn't betray how nervous he was, and put on a bright smile for good measure, "I'm Choi San."

"Can I help you?" Oh, his voice was pretty as well. San was already a goner.

As if in a trance, San sat down in the empty seat opposite the mystery boy, trying not to seem like a creep for doing so. He didn't want to stutter like an idiot, so he said the words in his head before saying them out loud, "Well...no, but I thought you looked lonely, so I came to ask if you'd been stood up or something, cause you've been in here for, like, ever, and you haven't spoken to anyone. I could give you some company if you'd like."

Awesome. He'd sounded like a complete buffoon to himself. He just hoped that 'pretty boy' sitting opposite to him didn't share that opinion as well.

Thankfully, he received a response unrelated to his previous failed attempt at stringing words together to create a meaningful sentence, "They let you do your hair like that in college?"

San frowned at the University backpack next to the other boy, "Don't you do to college around here too?"

"Uh- uh, yeah, I'm just new."

San shrugged, answering the question anyway.

The boy responded to that rather vaguely, "That's nice," he said, obviously not registering San's words properly.

He waved a hand at him, "Hey, uh...earth to- I don't even know your name yet, what is it?"

The boy hesitated, and San was just about to dismiss it and say that he didn't have to tell him, when the smallest of smiles ghosted across his face, "Wooyoung," he said softly, "I'm Wooyoung."

And of course, San wasn't lying when he said, "Wooyoung, that's a pretty name...for a pretty face."

_Wooyoung._

It suited him. It suited his graceful, and yet strong features, sharp jawline and high cheekbones, and the cutest little mole under his left eye. Oh, and was that another dark spot on his bottom lip?

_Adorable._

And honestly, San hadn't expected himself to even have enough confidence to speak to the boy- no, _Wooyoung_ , at first, so he didn't know what came over him as he struck up a conversation with him, engaging him in silly banter being the easiest thing San had done in a while. He didn't know why, but there was this....this _pull_ he felt toward the other, something that told him that he shouldn't forget this so easily, that Wooyoung wasn't just another guy who'd give him attention for a while and then move on.

It was extremely uncharacteristic of him, but he forced himself to say the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Thankfully, his voice didn't break or choke and give away his nervousness, faux confident grin plastered on his face as he spoke, "Wooyoung; I'm not usually this forward, but if you're not already dating someone, I'd like to have your number?"

There. He'd said it.

Now even if the response was a no, he'd have tried. He'd have asked. He would have nothing to regret.

That is, until Wooyoung made a noncommittal sound and abruptly dashed away, telling San that he 'had to go'.

Wait...what?!

No way.

San wouldn't take just that and let it go. He needed an answer, even if it did turn out to be a measly rejection.

And then with a- surely foolhardy- burst of energy, he rose from the chair, rushing after the man who'd caught his attention like no other had before. He raced after him, confused as to why he'd run off like that, with no answer, and finally stopped at the end of a street, skidding to a halt on his heels when he saw Wooyoung ahead of him.

Although...

_What. The. Actual. Fuck._

Was this really the boy who'd looked adorable to San just a few moments ago? Was it the same boy who was holding another, extremely bulky man at gunpoint, cold, menacing stare in his previously innocent-looking, starry eyes?

Then Wooyoung was yelling at him to go, to run away, and of course he did. He wasn't stupid. Whatever it was that he'd seen, he knew that it hadn't been meant for his eyes.

San had taken barely ten steps forward, running away from the shocking scene he'd just witnessed, trying to understand and at the same time forget what he'd seen, when suddenly, there was a strong arm closing around his throat and hauling him around, uncomfortably cutting off his air.

He tried to fight against it, he tried to struggle away, but of course he couldn't. He was nothing compared to the strength of this man.

He then watched, stunned as Wooyoung tried to negotiate with him, looking completely calm and not the least bit frightened. In a way, seeing him stay so composed allowed San to become a little less terrified, and calm down a little.

Of course, that was only until there was a gun digging into his temple.

San froze, eyes squeezing shut as his mind blanked out and his heart raced, wondering what the fuck he was supposed to do now. He didn't register anything that was happening, the air half choked out of him and his brain partially useless due to the overwhelming fear, worse than any feeling he'd had while being stared down by three bullies, all stronger and bigger than him. Thankfully, the arm around his neck loosened itself within a few minutes, falling away and making him heave out a relieved sigh. 

Too soon to celebrate, however.

Before he could thank the gods for his freedom, he involuntarily lurched forward, coughing as a sharp blow to his back sent him reeling, eyes flying open with shock. He fell to his knees, holding himself up pathetically on his elbows, and slowly manged to come up so he was kneeling down in harsh concrete, wondering where it had all gown wrong. So terribly, terribly wrong.

Of course, San had had no idea then, that it would get even crazier.

He'd only seen a gun like that once before in his life, and he'd been on the verge of begging for death after that incident.

Now, he watched with bated breath and a throbbing backache as Wooyoung, the boy who'd been nothing but shy, sweet smiles and boisterous peals of laughter back in the cafe, became a cruel, fierce creature, mercilessly pointing a gun at a man and shooting him without hesitance.

San gasped in shock, and turned away from the gruesome sight, trying not to think about the fact that there was a dying, or _dead_ man behind him. He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling his heart race beneath his fingers, and whimpered, shying away in fear as Wooyoung approached him, "You- you _killed_ -"

"Shut up," Wooyoung opened his backpack and took out the last things San expected to see in a Uni backpack, white toolkit with a red plus on top emerging from inside it. San cowered in fright, biting his lip to prevent himself from making an embarrassing sound. Wooyoung sighed, looking twenty years older than his actual age as he said, "I'm trying to help you, don't move."

San managed a vague, and yet accusatory statement, coming out as more of a question than anything else. How was he supposed to trust Wooyoung, after he just watched him _murder_ a man in cold blood, he asked.

Wooyoung made a valid point in response, "I just got rid of the guy who was trying to kill you, and me, so isn't that enough to earn your trust?"

And well, maybe it was a stupid move, but San reluctantly allowed him to inspect his back, Wooyoung giving him advice on how to deal with it professionally, like he was trained for it.

Like...like this was normal. Like he killed people often. The- the mafia, maybe?

Wha...

San was confused.

Wooyoung proceeded to brutally reject him, refusing to give him his number, and then threatened him with _death_.

San was really beginning to regret this.

He promised that he wouldn't tell anyone about what he'd seen, and he meant that promise more than any other he'd made, because who the fuck was going to believe that story of his? (Not that he had people to tell) A that he'd asked tried to ask out a boy who had seemed sweet and cute, and then he'd watched said boy kill someone in cold blood just a few minutes later? It was a mess.

San said goodbye, and it was possibly the most awkward interaction of his life, as he left quietly, mind reeling and heart still racing uncontrollably.

His back throbbed, but he paid it no heed.

But why was it, that even after having deemed Wooyoung a scary, unattainable person, a _killer_ , that he was unable to get his face out of his head?

Why was it, that he still kept thinking about the boy in the cafe, with the too-big jacket and shiny eyes and the cutest little moles on his face?

Why was it that he wanted to see the boy again?

In conclusion, San was utterly and thoroughly screwed.

*****

_**Three years later~** _

San panted as he collapsed on top of Wooyoung, falling on top of him in a mess of tangled, sweaty naked limbs.

Wooyoung reached up to wrap both arms around San, smiling up at him dazedly, "I love morning sex with you."

San smiled back, leaning down to peck Wooyoung on the mouth, "Me too."

The morning sun shined through the blinds of their window, casting attractive shadows on the melanin of Wooyoung's skin, painting him an ethereal golden. San sighed happily, tucking his face into Wooyoung's neck.

"Gosh, I don't wanna get up, Sannie," the younger man breathed, lips tracing the shell of his ear.

San pulled back, looking down at Wooyoung with an eyebrow raised in invitation, "We don't have to. You wanna go again?"

"God, you're insatiable!" Wooyoung laughed breathlessly, pulling San down to kiss him, "But as much as I love the sound of that, we have work in an hour, and I don't want to have to explain to Mingi why we're late _again_."

San pouted, "Hmph," he traced Wooyoung's side with his hand, thumbing over a bruise he'd left on his hip, "Well, it's your loss."

"Oh, sweetie, you can stop kidding yourself," Wooyoung teased, "I know you love it just as much as I do."

San's gaze darkened, and he mouthed over a dark bruise on Wooyoung's collarbone, "Tell that to your screams a few minutes ago."

The younger sighed despite himself, and pulled San even closer, winding his fingers in the dark strands, "Mm, I'm not even going to argue with that. It was amazing," he breathed, "Promise me you'll fuck my brains out when we get back tonight."

San chuckled, brushing a lock of Wooyoung's hair back from his forehead. He leaned down to kiss his boyfriend, lips finding each other naturally, little sighs and moans exchanged between them in the silence of the cool morning. He pulled back, cocking his head to the side, "You can count on that promise."

Wooyoung grinned, gently pushing him off with one hand, "C'mon, let's get ready."

San pulled the other up so they were both standing, and abruptly tugged him into his embrace.  
  
Wooyoung made a startled sound, falling into San's arms, "Why are you hugging me all of a sudden?"

San pulled back, looking down at his boyfriend with a smile, "Because I love you."

Wooyoung rolled his eyes, "You're too sappy, San. You'd make a terrible secret agent. You can never hide your emotions."

San chuckled, "Well, it's too late. I already _am_ one, and it's all thanks to you," he emphasised his point by poking Wooyoung on the nose childishly.

Wooyoung sighed, "I wish I could just stay in bed with you all day, and not have to go to work."

San raised his eyebrows, "I did offer."

Wooyoung giggled, "And I declined, because we actually have things to do. Now let's go, okay?"

"Okay."

San reluctantly let Wooyoung out of his embrace, the younger man turning away from him to go their shared closet and get himself some clothes and a towel, taking the towel with him into the bathroom and dropping the clothes on the bed.

San watched him go with a fond expression, slowly sinking back down onto their bed, till he was sitting with his hands on either side of his bare thighs. He crossed his legs with a sigh, planting his chin on one palm lazily.

Wooyoung really was something else.

He'd gone from being the adorable boy sitting by himself in a cafe- someone whom San had to think twice before talking to- to someone San had become afraid of, and slowly, slowly grown to admire, desire, cherish, and love. 

Wooyoung was his... everything.

Before him, San had had nothing that was _his_ , and nothing that was real. He'd been living his life in a web of lies and secrets. Every second, he'd been watched, followed and used, as nothing more than a tool for Kim Ethan to complete tasks. And through all of this he'd been a good lapdog to a dangerous criminal, hypnotised and used without knowing what he was doing.

Then along had come Jung Wooyoung, with his extremely attractive looks and even more attractive personality, drawing San into him like a moth to a flame, so the older was helpless for him, and he'd fixed everything. San owed Wooyoung his whole life. Maybe even more than that. After everything, he didn't regret- even for a moment- that he'd held a gun to his own head for Wooyoung's sake. Back then, he'd done it in a burst of fear and determination. Now, he'd give up his life for the one he loved with no qualms.

They'd come a long way since then.

He didn't know how he was to repay everything that Wooyoung had done for him, and he had to show him that nothing mattered to San more than he did. So he'd approached Hongjoong, and done the only thing he could think of.

He'd asked for a job, the one he'd been reluctant to accept a year ago when he was still in college. Hongjoong, being the absolute angel he was, had given San a temporary position at first, to determine his working skills and technical know-how, until he'd been deemed satisfactory and given a full-time job as a secret agent. He'd wanted to be an agent so he could protect Wooyoung the way the younger had protected him, and hopefully he could be a pillar of support for the other when times were hard, helping him shoulder the heavy responsibility and burden that came from being a secret agent. They would share everything, and San would make sure that Wooyoung never had go through anything alone again.

Of course, San's family was unaware of his job. He hadn't really spoken to them much, after the closure of the Skull case one year ago. He'd spoken to his mom a total of four times, and even then only because he had to, and to his sister not even once. His dad had become a total stranger to him, and honestly, San didn't regret any of those developments. He couldn't bring himself to ever feel like he could talk to them about anything, after all that they'd put him through.

Now, his family consisted of Wooyoung, the other agents whom he'd become very close to, and Changbin as well. And as for a parental figure in his life, San was ecstatic when Wooyoung's parents had accepted him and welcomed him with warm hospitality and care, his mother saying that San was just as much their son as Wooyoung and his little brother. They'd even let San stay over the previous year, when he and Wooyoung had gone to the younger's home for Chuseok.

San smiled, recalling the memories of that time, perhaps the only time that San had felt so accepted and loved, spoilt by Wooyoung's mother's delicious food, and his little brother's endless pestering and unexpected tackles.

Yeah, it had really been a hell of a ride, hadn't it?

And of course, there had been mishaps and difficulties in between. Wooyoung and San had fought a couple of times, some of those misunderstandings even lasting longer than a week. But in the end, that's all they were. Misunderstandings. It always ended with one or both of them apologising, then a whole night spent naked and in bed. Not bad at all, if you asked San.

He and Wooyoung had been living together for a few months, and it had been....well, just as annoying as you'd expect, he supposed. But it was fine, it was amazing, because he loved Wooyoung, and the other man loved him back just as much, and of course that took superiority of the other meaningless spats and falling outs in between.

Wooyoung stepping out of the bathroom snapped him out of his thoughts, and the younger grinned at him, towel wrapped around his waist and another around his neck.

San preened at the sight of the light red bruises decorating Wooyoung's neck and hips, the younger immediately understanding what San was staring at. He chuckled, "What, you feeling proud of yourself for this?" He gestured to himself.

San winked, "It's sexy."

Wooyoung snorted, dropping the towel around his hips and pulling on his underwear, "Oh, I know. Now go shower, you big baby. We have to be on time."

San bit his lip to hide his smile, rubbing his chill arms as he walked past Wooyoung, landing a light smack on his bottom as he went. The younger yelped, looking at him with an accusatory glare, "Stop it!"

San laughed loud, uninhibited, _happy_ , "You're just so hard to resist, baby," he quipped.

"I hate you," Wooyoung was fully dressed now.

"Aw, I love you too," San grinned, turning over his shoulder to look at his boyfriend.

Wooyoung stuck his tongue out at him childishly, and San chuckled at his antics, shaking his head as he went to shower and dress himself.

San smiled to himself, and brought one hand up to pinch himself on the inside of his elbow.

He winced.

Yeah, it hurt.

It was hard, though, to believe that all of this was real, that he really had someone so beautiful in his life, his life which was _happy_ now, and he could be free and honest with himself and with the people around him.

San had found his greatest treasure, and he would fight with his life on the line to keep that treasure, to hold it against his heart and never let it go. He considered himself the luckiest man on earth, for finally having received everything that he'd ever yearned for and more. Much more than he deserved, if you asked him.

But he wasn't going to dwell on that part of himself that still felt that he didn't deserve Wooyoung, that. _Wooyoung_ deserved so much better than him.

Instead, he would be thankful for everything he had, and everything that was to come, and he would protect Wooyoung until the day he died, with every fibre of his being, because he was completely, immeasurably and unequivocally.... _in love_.

San would show off that precious love to the whole world, and yet he'd hold the object of that emotion close to him, within him, forever.

He was happy.

He was content.

He was loved.

And he would never have to hide again.

*****  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout-out to all the amazing ppl who've read and commented on this story, thank you guys so much y'all honestly kept me going🤭💞💞 
> 
> Okay, so.....now tell me what your favourite part of the whole thing was!!! Comment down below, and most importantly...give lots of love to our boysssss and keep supporting them! Atiny and ateez, fighting😁 ❤️ 
> 
> I'll be back soon with some more stuff for you guys. For now, check out my other fics if you can!!! 😉 Stay safe and healthy!!😚
> 
> Edit: Guys, let's all hope and pray for Mingi, and wish him the best, okay? I hope none of you guys spread toxic messages or hate during this time, for the members', and especially Mingi's sake❤️ Let's show him lots of love, and give him strength to return to ateez when he feels well! Mingi fighting! 
> 
> Love,  
> R❤️


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